International solidarity with the prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia

50 members of the European Parliament from various parties have signed an open letter addressed to the High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell on the grave human rights violations occurring in Saudi Arabia against women human rights defenders.
The letter called on the European External Action Service to devote its human rights values, especially with regard to the European Union’s gender strategy for 2020-2025, and to push for legislative reforms on gender.
The initiative was undertaken by the European Center for Democracy and Human Rights and ALQST for Human Rights, and it was sponsored by two deputies in the European Parliament, Alessandra Moretti and Hemlot Schulz.
According to the letter, on May 15, 2018, the Saudi authorities launched a campaign of arrests against women human rights defenders, along with a number of male supporters, targeting female activists pioneering in the struggle for women’s rights, and practicing various forms of violations and abuse against them after arrest, such as torture. They were accused in the media of treason and espionage, and some of them are still in detention.
Hussein Abdullah, Executive Director of the European Center, said, “We welcome this wonderful support from members of the European Parliament for the cause of Saudi women human rights defenders, and we hope that this initiative will send a strong message to the Saudi authorities that their violations of international law will not be ignored by the international community.”