Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia spends billions of dollars hosting major entertainment, cultural, and sporting events as a deliberate strategy to deflect from the country’s image as a pervasive human rights violator. Scores of human rights activists and dissidents remain in prison or on trial for their peaceful criticism. Authorities failed to hold high-level officials accountable for suspected involvement in the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Through 2021, the Saudi-led coalition continued a military campaign against the Houthi rebel group in Yemen that has included scores of unlawful airstrikes that have killed and wounded thousands of civilians.

United Kingdom

January 31, 2023
News Release
UK: Court to Rule on Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia
Middle East/North Africa

January 26, 2023
News Release
Morocco: Saudi Man at Risk of Forced Return
Saudi Arabia

January 24, 2023
Dispatches
Biden's Empty Call to Reevaluate US-Saudi Relationship

Sadie Statman

Associate, Washington Advocacy

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January 5, 2022 Report

Ethiopia: Returned Tigrayans Detained, Abused

Saudi Arabia Should Stop Deporting Tigrayan Migrants to Ethiopia
July 25, 2021 Report

Saudi Arabia: Collective Punishment for Ex-Official’s Children

Arbitrary Travel Bans, Incommunicado Detention, Secret Appeal Hearing
October 2, 2020 Report

Saudi Arabia: ‘Image Laundering’ Conceals Abuses

New Human Rights Watch Campaign Against Whitewashing Rights Violations
August 13, 2020 Report

Yemen: Houthis Kill, Expel Ethiopian Migrants

Saudis Fire on Survivors, Detain Hundreds in Appalling Conditions