#G20SaudiArabia

Saudi Arabia using G20 for Reputation Laundering

We won’t let Saudi leaders hide their grave human rights abuses behind the G20

Why does the Saudi Arabian government want to host the G20? It is part of their public relations strategy to whitewash their human rights abuses and launder their reputation. G20 leaders awarded the G20 presidency to Saudi Arabia for 2020 despite the Saudi government’s unrelenting assault on fundamental freedoms, including jailing and harassing government critics and human rights activists, unlawful attacks in Yemen, and flouting of international calls for justice for the murder of journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia will virtually host the G20 World Leaders’ Summit on November 21-22. Through this event, the Saudi government is trying to make the public forget about their human rights abuses. Don’t let them get away with it.

The authorities should free the detained Saudis who stood up for human rights, including Loujain al-Hathloul, Nassima al-Sadah, Samar Badawi, Waleed Abu al-Khair, Salah al-Haidar and Abdulrahman al-Sadhan.

ACT NOW

Tweet at G20 leaders to hold their Saudi hosts accountable on human rights.

While you attend #G20SaudiArabia, your hosts continue to jail and torture their critics. #Merkel @RegSprecher @JustinTrudeau @realDonaldTrump @BorisJohnson @EmmanuelMacron don’t let them off the hook. Free the human rights defenders! hrw.org/news/2020/11/09/g20-hold-saudi-arabia-accountable-abuses Tweet

Download the #G20SaudiArabia Virtual Background

A leading women's rights activist who fought for Saudi women’s right to drive. Arrested in May 2018, authorities subjected her to torture and incommunicado detention. She remains behind bars and on trial for her peaceful activism.
–Loujain al-Hathloul

Fierce activist for abolishing the discriminatory male guardianship system and fighting against the driving ban for women. She remains in detention since July 2018 along with the brutal crackdown on the women’s rights movement.
–Nassima al-Sadah

One of the first activists to petition Saudi authorities for women’s right to vote and run in municipal elections. She was arrested in July 2018. She remains behind bars and on trial for charges linked to her activism.
–Samar Badawi

Human rights lawyer and activist who defended people’s rights to free expression and founded a human rights organization. He has served six years of a 15-year sentence on vague charges related to his public criticism of Saudi human rights abuses.
–Waleed Abu al-Khair

A Saudi writer and intellectual, and son of a well-known women’s rights activist. He remains detained since May 2019, subjected to solitary confinement and faces up to 33 years in prison for criticizing the Saudi government on social media.
–Salah al-Haidar

A Saudi Red Crescent employee who was detained in March 2018 after his anonymous twitter account is believed to have been breached by the Saudi government. He has been held without any contact with his family, lawyer or the outside world for nearly two years.
–Abdulrahman al-Sadhan

#G20SaudiArabia

Further reading

>> Saudi Arabia: ‘Image Laundering’ Conceals Abuses

>> The High Cost of Change: Repression Under Saudi Crown Prince Tarnishes Reforms

>> Hiding Behind the Coalition: Failure to Credibly Investigate and Provide Redress for Unlawful Attacks in Yemen