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Andrew Fitzgerald:

What is also disturbing is the Obama administration’s relative silence throughout the trial and in the aftermath of Qahtani’s conviction. While the US has been quick to condemn human rights violations in China and rally behind persecuted activists there, President Obama has seemed hesitant to do the same regarding Saudi Arabia.

If the Obama administration wants to use the global movement for democracy and human rights as a rhetorical and diplomatic tool, it needs to apply equal criticism not only to its rivals but to its own policies and the policies of its allies as well.

US Government Commission Urges Saudi Arabia to Release Two Jailed Activists→

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The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called Thursday for the Saudi government to release Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamed. USCIRF, an independent bipartisan US federal government commission, called the jail sentences against the activists a “shocking step in the wrong direction” and welcomed the State Department’s concern about their case:

“Along with other Commissioners, I had the honor during a recent USCIRF trip to Saudi Arabia to host a meeting with Mr. al-Qahtani, one of two founding members of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA), an independent human rights organization,” said Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, USCIRF’s Chair. “We had sought out Mr. al-Qahtani, one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent human rights activists, for his assessment of the status of freedom of religion and conscience in the Kingdom. ACPRA has issued numerous reports on rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, submitted information to the U.N. Human Rights Council and other international human rights mechanisms, and has criticized Saudi ministries and officials for their alleged human rights violations.

Jailed Activists Not Chained in Metal Shackles, Government Spokesman Says

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Lawyers of two detained prominent Saudi activists said Tuesday that their clients refused to see them when they came to visit them in prison because the guards did not unshackle their hands and feet. Activists Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamed have been detained since Saturday after a court in Riyadh sentenced them to lengthy jail sentences and travel bans.

“We just came out of Malaz Prison and my clients have refused to meet us in chains,” lawyer Abdulaziz al-Hussan said on Twitter at 2:34pm local time. “Prison administrator refused to unchain them and asked us to bring an order from the governorate.”

Few hours later, the governorate spokesman released a statement denying the allegations that al-Qahtani and al-Hamed have had their hands and feet tied with metal shackles. “Riyadh Governorate would like to clarify that prison regulations do not state that such prisoners would be chained while they are inside the prison,” the statement said. The spokesman added that the prison administration has filed a complaint with the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution against lawyer Abdulaziz al-Hussan for allegedly spreading false information.

However, an account by Abdulaziz Al-Shubaily, a member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, appeared to contradict the official spokesperson’s statement and support what al-Hussan said earlier.

Al-Subaily posted to Twitter at 1:26pm that he has just visited al-Qahtani and al-Hamed in prison, saying he has never seen them in such high spirits. Two hours later, he posted a series of tweets talking about the visit. One tweet reads: “We were allowed in. We greeted them in the hallway where they were brought for the visit. They were smiling, their hands and feet shackled.” In the following tweets he mentioned parts of the conversation he had with them. According to al-Shubaily’s account of the visit, the two activists said they will not abandon their demands for reform and a constitutional monarchy.

Activists on Twitter expressed their support to lawyer Abdulaziz al-Hussan in the face of what they described as an attempt of intimidation. Twitter users used the hashtag “We are all Abdulaziz al-Hussan” to post about what happened to the lawyer. “Is it revenge because he defended al-Hamed and al-Qahtani?” asked independent journalist Turki Abdulhai.

“When the political targeting reaches lawyers that means we have hit rock bottom,” said and publisher Nawaf al-Qudaimi. “There is nothing lower than this.”

US ‘Concerned’ About Activists Jail Sentences, Rights Groups Urge Saudi Government to Release Them

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The United States on Monday said it was “concerned” about the jail sentences handed down by a Saudi court to two prominent human rights activists in the country. Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamed were Saturday sentenced to at least 10 years in jail for setting up an unlicensed human rights organization.

“We are concerned that these two very prominent Saudi human rights activists have been sentenced to prison,” said Victoria Nuland, a State Department spokesperson. Asked if the issue was raised during Secretary of State John Kerry recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Nuland said “the issues of human rights and reform progress in Saudi were obviously discussed, as they always are when we are there.”

Kerry’s visit was followed by another visit by US Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. who arrived to Riyadh on the same day of the activists trial and met Crown Prince Salman and other Saudi officials, including Justice Minister Mohammed al-Eisa. Holder held a press conference at the US Embassy on Sunday but it appears that he was not asked by the trial.

International human rights groups have criticized the jailing of al-Qahtani and al-Hamed, called the trial “politically motived,” and urged the Saudi government to release them.

“This is simply an outrageous case, which shows the extremes Saudi authorities are prepared to go to silence moderate advocates of reform and greater respect for human rights”, said Eric Goldstein, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division at Human Rights Watch. In a statement published Monday, human rights watchdog Amnesty International called the jail sentences “yet another stain on the country’s record when it comes to attacking free expression.” Philip Luther, Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty, said al-Qahtani and al-Hamed “have been imprisoned solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association and are therefore prisoners of conscience who should be released immediately and unconditionally.”

There was no comment from the Saudi National Society of Human Rights, but many Saudis took to Twitter to express their reaction to the trial. Blogger Eman al-Nafjan has translated tweets by some influential Saudi Twitter users who commented on the trial. Lawyer Ibrahim al-Modaimeegh, for instance, said the court ruling “leaves no room for doubt that the judiciary is politicized and is not independent.”

ACPRA Statement on Activists Trial→

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The Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) has released a statement today about the jail sentences handed down to its co-founders Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamed last Saturday. In the statement, ACPRA called the trial “purely political” and based on prosecution of opinions. “We confirm and repeat that the origin of this case is the human rights violations committed by the Saudi government, and our attempt to stand up to these violation and document them,” ACPRA said. The statement also revealed that al-Qahtani and al-Hamed have been told during interrogation that the government will not seek legal action against them if they agreed to stop their activism, but according to the statement the two men preferred “going to jail over going silent.”

Saudi Activists Silenced, US Silent→

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By yours truly for the Middle East Channel in Foreign Policy:

When Saudi activists Abdullah al-Hamed and Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani headed to the Criminal Court in Riyadh on Saturday morning, they knew what was waiting for them. The two founding members of the banned Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) have been on trial since June 2012, and the judge was expected to hand down his ruling at the session scheduled on Saturday. As the defendants arrived to the court, they were received by more than 100 activists who came to show their support and attend the hearing which was also marked by a heavy presence of security officers with truncheons hanging from their belts.

Activists Lawyer Accuses Government of Interference, Escalation

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Lawyer of two prominent Saudi activists have accused the government of interfering in the trial that concluded yesterday with jail sentences against the activists. Lawyer Abdulaziz al-Hussan told Sabq that the sentences were expected but he considered the judge’s order to arrest activists Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamed an “escalation” from the government. Al-Hussan said they plan to appeal the court decision after they receive the official papers in two weeks, but until then both activists will remain in detention, a procedure he called “unjustified.” While the activists and their supporters may find the jail sentences harsh, that did not seem to be the case for the public prosecutor. Al-Riyadh reported that the prosecutor has announced after the hearing that he plans to file an objection memo soon, which means he is likely to ask for harsher sentences.

Prominent Saudi Activists Sentenced to Jail

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A court in Riyadh has sentenced two prominent Saudi activists to jail time and travel ban for founding an unlicensed human rights organization. After the sentences were announced, presiding judge Hammad al-Omar has ordered the arrest of Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamed. The judge has also ordered the the dissolving of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association and the confiscation of its property, including the closure of its websites and social media accounts.

The activist al-Qahtani was sentenced to 10 years in jail and a travel ban for 10 years. His fellow ACPRA co-founder al-Hamed was sentenced to 5 years in jail and added 6 years from a previous sentenced that the King pardoned in 2006. That means al-Hamed would spend 11 years in jail in addition to a 5-year travel ban. The verdict session that took place in the Criminal Court in Riyadh was well attended by activists and the media, but the attendees were not allowed to bring their smartphones inside the courtroom.

Al-Qahtani and al-Hamed have been on trial since June 2012. The government is accusing them with a series of offenses, including founding an unlicensed human rights organization, seeking to disrupt security and inciting disorder, undermining national unity, breaking allegiance to the ruler, disobeying the ruler, and questioning the integrity of officials. The jail sentences were expected by both activists. Al-Qahtani has previously said that expects to be sent to prison, and al-Hamed has told the judge during the trial that he is ready for jail.

Many activists say this trial was a landmark because al-Qahtani and al-Hamed have insisted on their right to an open and public trial. Over more than six months of hearings, other Saudi activists, intellectuals and academics have crowded the courtroom in an unprecedented show of support. They have also taken to social media talk about the case and criticize the government. Reacting to the verdict on Twitter, some Saudis who have followed the case have expressed shock and outrage. “Mockery... Mockery,” said businessman and columnist Essam al-Zamel. Lawyer Badr al-Jaafari wrote it is “another day of tampering with the value of justice in the name of Sharia and under the cloak of religion.”

Maha al-Qahtani, wife of the activist, said she does not find it strange that her husband would be thrown in jail for demanding reform as many others have been unfairly imprisoned before. “What is strange,” she said, “is that people still long to justice and hope for reform.”

Good Saudi Men Facing Jail→

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Former Washington Post reporter Janine Zacharia writes about Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani. The Saudi activist has been on trial for months and is now waiting for a verdict. The verdict hearing, which was originally scheduled for later this week, has been postponed.

Al-Qahtani told Zacharia that he expects to be sent to prison for roughly three years, a sentence, he told her, that the government will deem “palatable to international human rights organizations. The Saudi regime doesn’t care about its local subjects,” he said. “This is my expectation. I hope I am wrong on that one.” Zacharia says the Obama administration should speak up about the case:

Saudi Arabia’s human rights record has always been appalling. The chaotic outcome of the Arab revolutions has, regrettably, made the United States and other Western powers even more reluctant to pressure Saudi leaders to promote democratic reforms.

With good men facing jail, now would be the right time for Western governments — and Washington in particular — to set aside those concerns and do something to try to reverse this trend of Saudi Arabia imprisoning writers and activists.

That Saudi Arabia allows so much freedom on its pan-Arab Al Arabiya satellite channel and Al Hayat newspaper while continuing to imprison writers and activists at home is especially hypocritical and abhorrent. It’s a point that Obama should make to the Saudis, to at least try to prevent Qahtani and his colleague from being sent to jail and silenced.

It is important to point out, however, that the freedom she says is allowed on Al Arabia, al-Hayat and other Saudi-owned pan-Arab media, does not extend to cover direct criticism of the Saudi government.

Interior Ministry Manipulates Judiciary, Saudi Activists On Trial Say→

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Online news site Sabq continues to provide extended coverage for the trial of Saudi activists Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamed. The last hearing session was held earlier today in a court in Riyadh. The government accuses them of a series of charges including breaking allegiance to the ruler, questioning the integrity of officials and founding an unlicensed human rights organization. In this hearing, al-Qahtani and al-Hamed continued to defend themselves against what they described as “the oppression of the Interior Ministry.” The judge is expected to rule in the case in two weeks.

Saudi Activists Trial Continues in Riyadh→

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Global Voices:

The eighth hearing session of one of Saudi Arabia's first public trials of two prominent human rights activists Mohammad Al-Qahtani and Abdullah Al-Hamid was held today [Dec 8, 2012] at the Riyadh Criminal Court. In the last hearing session, the public prosecutor responded to their defense, and today, the defendants provided additional defense. Ninety supporters attended the session, including three women and correspondents from Al Jazeera and Sky News.

“We are Ready for Jail,” Saudi Activist Tells Judge

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When activist Abdullah al-Hamed told the judge that he is ready for jail and some attendees at the courtroom reacted with applause and takbeer, the judge did not gavel the hearing to order. Instead, he ordered the attendees to leave the courtroom, allowing only the representatives of the media to stay.

The hearing which took place in the Saudi capital Riyadh was the latest episode in the trial al-Hamed and his fellow activist Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani, co-founders of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA).

The two of them have been on trial since June. The government is accusing them with a similar list of offenses, which includes seeking to disrupt security and inciting disorder, undermining national unity, breaking allegiance to the ruler, disobeying the ruler, and questioning the integrity of officials.

One of the charges against al-Hamed and al-Qahtani that received much ridicule by activists is that they have impeded the country’s development. Today, the public prosecutor explained that he did not accuse them of “impending development but rather of working to impede development” by calling for protests. The difference between these two things, he said, is “clear.” Al-Qahtani on Twitter described this as “the most important event” in today’s hearing.

Al-Hamed reportedly asked the judge if they are on trial for their opinions. “Is this an inquisition court?” he asked. The judge told the defendants they are not on trial for their opinions but for the means they have used to express these opinions. As he left the courtroom after the hearing was adjourned, al-Hamed said “the only way to solve the problem of extremism and violence is by allowing people to express themselves peacefully.”

The trial will continue next week. The upcoming hearing session is scheduled for December 8, 2012.

Activist Says Govt Lawsuit ‘Malicious’

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The latest hearing session in the trial of Saudi activists Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamed did not sound all that different from the previous ones. The activists continue to debate judge Hammad al-Omar the legitimacy of the trial and the charges against them.

“This is a malicious lawsuit,” al-Hamed reportedly told the judge. “It aims to silence me and rights activists like me.”

The public session was held in Riyadh Saturday morning, and it was well-attended by activists and media, as well as representatives of local human rights groups. However, the judge warned the defendants against publishing the proceedings of the trial, according to journalist Iman al-Qahtani who was in the courtroom.

Activists posted photos from outside the court.

The government is accusing al-Qahtani and al-Hamed of founding an unlicensed human rights organization and questioning the legitimacy of the rulers, among other charges. Amnesty International has urged the Saudi government to drop the case because “it appears to be based solely on their legitimate work to defend human rights.”

After two hours and 45 minutes of debate, the judge adjourned the trial. The next hearing session is scheduled for Saturday, December 1, 2012.

Related: Global Voices, as usual, has a good roundup of tweets on the trial.

Old Photo on the Radio→

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Yours truly on PRI’s The World yesterday to talk about the trial of Saudi activists Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamed. On their site, they are using my Twitter avatar, a photo of my late father, to go with the story instead of a more recent photo of, you know, me. ♦

Trial of Saudi Activists Adjourned

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The trial of two prominent Saudi activists was adjourned again on Saturday after they insisted that the trial must be open to public, according to a statement published by the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) Monday.

The organization said two of its co-founders, Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamed, told judge Hammad al-Omar that they refuse to undergo a secret trial. It is a matter of principle, al-Qahtani reportedly told the judge.

Al-Qahtani and al-Hamed face a series of charges, including founding an unlicensed political rights organization and breaking allegiance to the Kingdom’s rulers. If convicted, they could be sent to jail for years.

Amnesty International called last month for the case against the two activists to be dropped, according to a statement published on its site. The international human rights group said the case “appears to be based solely on their legitimate work to defend human rights in Saudi Arabia and their criticism of the authorities.”

“If they are detained on such charges, Amnesty International would consider them to be prisoners of conscience and call for their immediate and unconditional release,” the statement said.

‘Never Talk Back to a Saudi Judge’→

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Jess Hill, Middle East correspondent for the nicely designed features website The Global Mail, writes about the trial of Saudi activists Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamed that took place in Riyadh earlier this month. Blogger Nour Abdulkarim also wrote an account of the trial based on material posted on Twitter. ♦

 

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