Amnesty urges Obama to criticize Saudi human rights record

Amnesty International has urged US president Barack Obama to break Washington’s silence on human rights violations in Saudi Arabia during his visit to the country on Friday. The London-based rights group called on Obama to take a firm stance against discrimination and systematic violations in the Persian Gulf kingdom. Obama was also asked to express dismay at restrictions on women’s driving as his brief visit to Riyadh coincides with a campaign against the driving ban in the country. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that forbids women to drive. “It is crucial that President Obama sends a strong message to the government of Saudi Arabia that its gross human rights violations and systematic discrimination are unacceptable. A failure to do so would undermine the human rights principles the USA purports to stand for,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. “For too long, the USA has shied away from publicly confronting Saudi Arabia over its human rights record, largely turning a blind eye to a mounting catalogue of abuses. This is an opportunity for the President to demonstrate that he will stop sacrificing respect for basic human rights, including equality and non-discrimination, for the sake of economic interests and political expedience,” Sahraoui said. “The government of Saudi Arabia has no qualms about crushing anyone who dares to criticize its methods. It has repeatedly and ruthlessly used repressive tactics to quash all forms of dissent.” President Obama’s visit also comes as Saudi Arabia has stepped up its crackdown on human rights activists and introduced an anti-terror law that virtually criminalizes all forms of peaceful dissent, Amnesty noted. Migrant workers and the country’s Shia Muslim community also face widespread and systematic discrimination. Saudi Arabia is a key US ally in the Middle East.