This resolution denounces Saudi Arabia's treatment of journalists and activists, including Salma al-Shehab (a human rights defender who was detained for protesting the guardianship system).
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1444 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1444
Condemning the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's inhumane treatment of Salma
al-Shehab and other women's rights defenders.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 21, 2022
Ms. Speier (for herself and Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Condemning the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's inhumane treatment of Salma
al-Shehab and other women's rights defenders.
Whereas, on January 15, 2018, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia arrested Salma al-
Shehab under suspicion of terrorism for ``assisting those who seek to
cause public unrest and destabilize civil and national security by
following their twitter accounts'';
Whereas these charges cited statements made on Twitter in which al-Shehab
supported women's rights defenders who had been detained for protesting
the Kingdom's guardianship system;
Whereas al-Shehab was detained without trial for over 9 months and initially
sentenced to 6 years in prison by the Specialized Criminal Court;
Whereas, on or around August 9, 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court resentenced
al-Shehab to 34 years in prison and a nonconcurrent 34-year travel ban;
Whereas the Specialized Criminal Court's sentence is the longest punishment
known of a peaceful women's rights activist in the Kingdom;
Whereas al-Shehab has been subjected to solitary confinement, prolonged
interrogation, abuse, harassment, and given medications which caused
drowsiness;
Whereas, on August 29, 2022, 35 nongovernmental organizations, including Freedom
House, condemned al-Shehab's arrest and sentencing as arbitrary and
unlawful, and characterized her sentence as ``an alarming deterioration
of the human rights situation in the country'';
Whereas, on August 29, 2022, the same nongovernmental organizations warned that
activists and human rights defenders continue to be ``ruthlessly
targeted and silenced, with repressive laws being used to criminalize
their peaceful expression and activism'';
Whereas, in May 2018, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia arrested 12 women's rights
defenders including, Loujain al-Hathloul, Aziza al-Yousef, Eman al-
Nafjan, Nouf Abdelaziz, Mayaa al-Zahrani, Samar Badawi, Nassima al-
Saada, and Hatoon al-Fassi;
Whereas Human Rights Watch reported that at least 3 of the detained activists
were subjected to torture, including electrical shocks, whipping, and
sexual assault;
Whereas while Loujain al-Hathloul was released from prison in February 2021, the
ongoing travel ban and threat of the suspended sentence prevents her
freedom of expression as she could be reimprisoned at any time;
Whereas the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia targets human rights defenders under severe
terrorism and cybercrime laws and they are routinely subject to
arbitrary arrests and unlawful detentions;
Whereas the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia fails to investigate and reform the penal
system which allows for the aforementioned torture and mistreatment of
human right defenders like Salma al-Shehab; and
Whereas the United States supports the freedom of speech and expression, right
to fair and open judicial proceedings, and humane treatment of prisoners
globally: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) denounces the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's guardianship
system and the arbitrary arrests, unlawful sentences, and
inhumane treatments of Salma al-Shehab and other human rights
defenders;
(2) denounces the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's draconian use
of travel bans and suspended sentences to silence human rights
defenders, journalists, activists, and others;
(3) urges the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to immediately
release Salma al-Shehab and other unjustly detained human
rights defenders; and
(4) urges the President to direct the Department of State
to leverage diplomatic pressure on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
to release Salma al-Shehab and other human rights defenders and
discourage the Kingdom from future arrests and detentions of
this nature.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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