Saudi Arabia spends billions of dollars hosting major entertainment, cultural, and sporting events to deflect from the country’s poor human rights record. Saudi Arabia has announced important reforms, but the repression of independent civil society and critical voices impedes any attempt at reform. Scores of human rights activists and dissidents are in prison or on trial for their peaceful criticism. Authorities failed to hold high-level officials accountable for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. The Saudi and UAE-led coalition continue their military campaign against the Houthi armed group in Yemen which has included unlawful airstrikes that have killed and wounded thousands of civilians

map of Saudi Arabia

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