Human Lives Human Rights: In a joint statement, 40 non-governmental organizations and human rights groups have urged the Saudi authorities to immediately release all individuals who have been arbitrarily detained simply for expressing their opinions online, as the nation prepares to host the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh from December 15 to 19, 2024.
One of the central themes of this annual forum, which focuses on digital public policy, is advancing human rights in the digital age. However, numerous organizations have expressed their concerns about the glaring hypocrisy of Saudi Arabia hosting the event while simultaneously detaining, forcibly disappearing, and intimidating dissenters.
With just 100 days remaining until the IGF, the Saudi government has a critical opportunity to demonstrate that it will ease its severe crackdown on freedom of expression and utilize this event to implement genuine reforms rather than merely engage in image-enhancing public relations.
To illustrate the sincerity of its hosting of the IGF, the Saudi authorities are being called upon to release all individuals detained solely for exercising their right to online expression prior to the commencement of the forum.
Many civil society activists and human rights defenders typically involved in the conference have voiced serious apprehensions about traveling to Saudi Arabia, fearing potential arrest, harassment, or surveillance, considering the country’s dismal record of silencing critics. Rights groups are urging the organizing committee of the IGF to secure public assurances from Saudi officials that no participants will be denied entry, that they will not face harassment—including detention or surveillance—and that all attendees will have the freedom to express their opinions without fear.
Recent years have seen rigorous crackdowns by Saudi authorities against anyone exhibiting even the faintest signs of dissent or criticism online. Among the most notable victims is Salma al-Shehab, arrested in January 2021. After an unfair trial, she was sentenced in January 2023 to an astounding 27-year prison term, followed by a 27-year travel ban, on unfounded terrorism charges stemming solely from her tweets in support of women’s rights.
In another alarming case, Manahel al-Otaibi was sentenced in January 2024 to 11 years in prison for social media posts advocating for women’s rights and for sharing personal images without her abaya in a mall.
Other victims of Saudi Arabia’s oppressive regime include Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, a Red Crescent worker who was sentenced in April 2020 to 20 years in prison for satirical tweets, and Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, a retired teacher who received a death sentence in July 2023 for criticizing the government on social media.
These distressing cases highlight the harsh reality of the Saudi authorities’ concerted repression against freedom of expression in the online sphere. If the Saudi government aspires to assume a global leadership role in shaping digital public policy, it must demonstrate a genuine commitment to upholding the right to free expression by reforming vague laws that criminalize dissent, including the controversial Anti-Cyber Crime Law, and must immediately end the widespread repression against critics, both online and offline.
