Saudi Arabia human rights record criticised at UN meeting
Countries at human rights council accuse kingdom of abusing rights of women and foreign workers
Reuters in Geneva
The Guardian, Monday 21 October 2013 17.56 BST
Saudi women and girls walk through a market in Dammam. Photograph: AP
Saudi Arabia's human rights record has come under fire at the United Nations, with critics accusing the kingdom of jailing activists without due process and abusing the basic rights of Saudi women and foreign workers.
At the UN human rights council on Monday, Britain called for the abolition of the Saudi system of male guardianship for women and was joined by the US in raising cases of forced labour imposed on migrant workers. The US delegation also voiced concern at Saudi restrictions on freedoms of religion and association, while Germany called for a moratorium on its use of the death penalty.
"Many countries have problematic records, but Saudi Arabia stands out for its extraordinarily high levels of repression and its failure to carry out its promises to the human rights council," Joe Stork, the deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement to the meeting.
The president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, Bandar bin Mohammed al-Aiban, said the country, which hosts 9 million foreign workers out of a total population of 28 million, was taking all steps needed to protect their rights and provide appropriate conditions. That included a ban on outdoor work in the heat between midday and 3pm from June to August, when temperatures are usually higher than 40C and can reach 50C.
Aiban said: "With regard to women's rights, the Islamic sharia (law) guarantees fair gender equality and the state's legislative enactments do not differentiate between men and women." Saudi women were full citizens able to dispose of their property and manage their affairs without seeking permission from anyone, he said.
Britain said more women should be placed in positions of authority and the Saudi government should end the guardianship system. The rules restrict women's legal rights in marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance, property ownership and decision-making in the family, as well as choice of residency, education and jobs, UN experts have said previously.
