ARBITRARY DETENTION, TORTURE AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF FEMALE ACTIVISTS IN SAUDI ARABIA

SEMINAR | AOHR UK

Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK invites you to a seminar about the detention of female activists in Saudi Arabia. Saudi women activists have been arbitrarily detained without charge and have faced, according to reports,
sexual harassment, torture and other forms of degrading treatment whilst in detention.

According to reports,activists were tortured by electrocution and flogging, with one case of an activist being held from the ceiling.It has been widely reported that an aide complicit in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi,Saud al-Qahtani,oversaw the torture of at least one activist.

It is clear that Saudi Arabia has not taken any step to fulfil its international obligations despite the killing of Khashoggi reaching worldwide notoriety.It is imperative that attention is brought to this important issue and that Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses are brought to a stop.

Systematic violation of human rights, both internally and externally, such as arbitrary arrests, enforced isappearances and torture, represent a clear violation and rejection of international law.

In light of the case of Jamal Khashoggi, it is clear that the international community needs to take a more robust stand against Saudi’s violations of international law.

SPEAKERS:

SUE WILLMAN

Sue is a senior partner at Deighton Pierce Glynn Solicitors leading their international human rights team and member of the Law Society of England and Wales Human Rights Committee. She currently acts for the intervenors in the CAAT challenge to the UK decision to allow arms exports to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen to be heard by the Court of Appeal later this year.

HAYDEE DIJKSTAL

33 Bedford Row,Attorney, practising international criminal law and human rights law before international and regional courts, including the International Criminal Court, International Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia, Special Court for Sierra Leone and the African Commission and African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

RHYS DAVIES

British barrister specialising in international criminal law and human rights law. He is a member of the List of Counsel for the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

SIAN REEVES

Barister at Law, Temple Garden Chambers ,she is specialist in public law and human rights.

HALA AL-DOSARI

A scholar in residence at the center for human rights and global justice at NYU School of Law, and a Saudi activist.