Saudi Arabia is punishing human rights defenders with a fine and five years in prison after systematically resorting to the Anti-Terrorism Law and using the Cybercrime Law, Amnesty International said.
The Saudi organization described the kingdom of brutality, saying its systematic repression of human rights has intensified since Prince Mohammed bin Salman was appointed crown prince in June 2017.
The report showed the EU and its member states failing to commit to supporting and protecting human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia, and said that the crackdown on civil society in the Kingdom - especially since 2011 and more sharply since May 2018 - has not been matched by a clear or firm EU strategy to ensure Supporting and protecting human rights defenders.
Threats
Most Saudi human rights defenders are threatened with silence or imprisonment or forced to flee the country, and many have been subjected to arbitrary travel bans, intimidation and harassment by security forces.
Some human rights defenders in the kingdom have been sentenced without access to their lawyers, and the Supreme Criminal Court has jailed human rights defenders on vague charges such as destabilizing security, spreading chaos, pitting public opinion and breaking loyalty to the ruler.
Eleven women activists were brought to the criminal court in Riyadh on charges of working in the field of human rights, contacting international organizations and foreign media, and calling for an end to the guardianship system.
Saudi Arabia is holding several human rights activists, including Lujain al-Hathloul, Samar Badawi, Nasima al-Sadah, Iman al-Nafijan and Aziza al-Yousif, for their activities in the Women's Rights Leadership Campaign, as well as journalists, writers and academics.
The report concludes that the crackdown on civil society has not been matched by a clear EU strategy to support and protect human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia, and that dialogue with the Kingdom remains absent.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed concern at the continued arbitrary detention of human rights activists in the Kingdom, and considered what is happening as evidence that there is no real reforms in the Kingdom in the field of civil and political rights.