Human rights in Saudi Arabia

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Saudi Arabia , basic human rights are not respected, which is often the cause of controversial discussions. Freedom House rates Saudi Arabia as “not free”. On a scale of political and freedom rights from 1 (greatest freedom) to 7 (least freedom), Saudi Arabia is classified in the report “Freedom in the World” as not free (7) for political rights and not free (7) for civil rights. In 2012, The Economist published a democracy rating with Saudi Arabia, which is an absolute monarchy , 163rd out of 167 countries. This means that Saudi Arabia is seen among the 10 most authoritarian states in the world. In 2012, Saudi Arabia ranks 74th out of 179 in the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom .

Legal system

From a humanistic and enlightened point of view, human rights are inherent in humans - rights given from the beginning of their existence, but compliance with them is always based on the respective legal system of a country. In Saudi Arabia, the legal system is based on a Wahhabi conservative interpretation of Islam based on Sharia law. Accordingly, it is not the task of the government to establish consensus within the population, but - according to the "pure doctrine" - to bring God's commandments and prohibitions into effect in social life.

In 1992, King Fahd ibn Abd al-Aziz (r. 1982–2005) enacted an 83-point legal text with the basic order, which is also known as the "Basic Law of the Exercise of Rule". In Art. 1 the Koran and the Sunna are named as constitution . Article 26 defines the protection of human rights, which are in accordance with Sharia law.

Amnesty International's 2007 annual report lists the following facts and figures:

In 2004 the “National Authority for Human Rights” was founded. Their job is to document and forward human rights violations. Its long-term goal is to improve the human rights situation. The authority is subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior.

Liberal Defense Rights

Right to life, integrity and security

death penalty

World map showing the death penalty status of all countries
Blue : Death penalty abolished without exception.
Light blue : death penalty in martial law.
Khaki : No use for at least 10 years.
Orange : use against adults only.
Red : can also be used against young people.

On the one hand, death sentences are pronounced for a number of religious offenses ( hudud ), which are also considered an attack on the state order: the desecration of the Koran, blasphemy, apostasy ( conversion to other faiths). Apostasy is punished with death only for men and life imprisonment for women. The "taking of measures against the king" is also considered an attack on the state order and can therefore be punished with the death penalty.

In addition, there is the Qisās (principle of retaliation), i.e. the retaliation of murder with the death of the murderer, as well as a series of social and sexual offenses: witchcraft , adultery, homosexuality , rape of other women or one's own wife, sexual abuse of women or children, Prostitution . The sexual harassment of women - a vaguely defined criminal offense - can justify a death sentence. This can also be imposed for drug trafficking, robbery in connection with the seriously injured or dead, and trafficking or smuggling of alcohol.

A legal opinion from 1988 provides for the death penalty for “sabotage” and “depravity ( corruption ) on earth”. Because they “promoted corruption in the country and endangered security”, z. On April 4, 2005, for example, six Somalis were beheaded after stealing cars and threatening taxi drivers. On January 25, 2008, three Burmese citizens were beheaded in Mecca for “corruption on earth”; they had attacked a woman in her apartment, threatened and robbed her.

According to Amnesty International and the UN, minors are also sentenced to death.

Since those sentenced to death can be pardoned if all members of a victim's family have forgiven them, they often wait for decades in prison until the victims' minors are of legal age and can make decisions. The convicts, their lawyers and relatives are often not informed of the execution date. Last court of grace is the king, who must review and approve in writing every death sentence before it can be executed.

In the case of rape , it is up to the woman alone to pardon the perpetrator; In the event of attempted rape, the family also has the right to pardon the perpetrator. The Saudi criminal law does not allow for extenuating circumstances for the man for rape in marriage, as z. B. is the case in Iran .

A total of 153 men and 3 women were executed in 2007, and the Saudi criminal justice system makes a big difference between women and men when it comes to the death penalty. The common method of execution is public decapitation with a sword . The stoning was applied in 1983 for the last time.

The most common death sentences from 1993 to 2009:

Offenses Number of executions
murder 1035 (women and men)
Drug smuggling / trafficking 540 (women and men)
Rape of women 175 (all men)
Heavy robbery 83 (all men)
rebellion 63 (all men)
Bomb attack 16 (all men)

Drugs and pornography: There are severe penalties for importing natural and artificial drugs of all kinds; even small amounts can be punished with the death penalty. The same applies to all kinds of pornographic material. The sale or possession of alcohol and other drugs is also prohibited. Muslim consumers or traders who are caught in small quantities are often flogged in public. The trafficking and smuggling of drugs, including alcohol, can also be punished with death by the sword.

torture

Although Saudi Arabia entered the UN Convention against Torture with reservations in 1997, torture and ill-treatment persist. The torture methods used include all kinds of physical abuse, insults and sleep deprivation . The widespread practice of out-of-contact detention encourages torture. Torture is used, among other things, to intimidate prisoners and to extort confessions, which can also be used in court.

Deprivation of liberty

Critics of the government in particular are often detained for long periods of time without charge or trial before either being tried or released. Despite legal regulations to the contrary, thousands of people who campaigned for political and religious rights, as well as suspects, have been arrested over the years without warrant. Those affected are usually detained without charge well beyond the legally prescribed period of three days, sometimes even for months and years.

Detention conditions are worrying and prisons are often dramatically overcrowded. The prisoners are often denied contact with their families and legal counsel. Thus, they have no chance to challenge the legality of their arrest. Foreign detainees who do not speak Arabic can only contact their embassy or consulate in rare cases and are not given an interpreter. When visiting embassy staff, prisoners are generally prohibited from discussing their treatment in custody or their case.

Right to freedom

freedom of speech

In 2002, a fire at a boarding school for girls, in which several girls were sent back to the burning building by members of the religious police because they were not wearing their veils, aroused public interest throughout Saudi Arabia. After the discussion about the legality of this action, which was partly carried out in the press, more public discussions took place on topics that were previously considered taboo. As a result of this incident, it was not until May 2010 that the Ministry of Education allowed women who were not fully dressed to be rescued by the fire brigade.

But even though freedom of expression in the Kingdom has continued to improve in recent years, Saudi Arabia ranks 161th out of 173 on the 2008 press freedom list, published by the human rights organization Reporters Without Borders. The main reason for this is still strict Censorship and prosecution of criticism of the government system. The anti-government Internet journalist Fouad Ahmad al-Fahrhan was arrested on December 10, 2007 and held until April 26, 2008 without charge.

In February 2007, the Shams newspaper was banned from appearing for six weeks. The newspaper had reprinted the Mohammed cartoons as part of its campaign to take action against the cartoons.

In the cartoon dispute in 2005, which was sparked off by a Danish newspaper, the ulema in Saudi Arabia repeatedly criticized Western freedom of the press. In January 2006, after a Danish court ruled that the publication of the cartoons was not against a law, the Saudi Arabian government withdrew its ambassador from Copenhagen and boycotted Denmark on goods.

The internet is effectively filtered by the state internet service unit . In this way, citizens are to be protected above all against the influences of content that violates the religious or social norms of the government. For example, Western reporting by independent media (reports critical of religion and government), pornography and sites by human rights organizations are blocked. In March 2007, Mohsen al-Awaji was arrested after posting articles on the Internet criticizing the authorities and the royal family, and calling for censorship to be removed from websites. He was released without charge after eight days.

Freedom of belief

The public practice of religions other than Sunni Islam is forbidden in Saudi Arabia, so the religious freedom of the Shiites is restricted. They are allowed to practice customs that are incompatible with Sunni Islam, e.g. B. the Mut'a marriage or the commemoration of Imam Hussain ( Ashura ), do not practice publicly. The Shiites are not recognized as Muslims by the religious authorities. They are allowed to operate mosques, but these are not officially considered mosques. Accordingly, only Sunni religious instruction is given in schools.

It is also illegal for guest workers and diplomats to celebrate a non-Sunni worship service, to receive a baptism or an anointing of the sick . There are no churches , synagogues or other non-Sunni houses of prayer and the construction of these buildings is prohibited. When Christians are punished for violating the ban on proselytizing, the penalty can vary depending on their nationality. Citizens of Western allies (e.g. USA, Europeans) are mostly "discreetly" expelled from the country, while missionaries from other countries (e.g. Philippines , Kenya ) are imprisoned and sometimes also executed. In 2008, Saudi Arabia ranked second behind North Korea in the World Persecution Index for Christians published by the Open Doors mission and aid organization .

Anyone who publicly confesses to a group known as an “Islamic sect” such as the Alevis , Ahmadiyya , Druze or Yazidis can be punished. This applies in particular to the affiliation to the post-Islamic world religion of the Baha'i .

see also: Christianity in Saudi Arabia

Freedom of conscience

In Saudi Arabia, freedom of conscience is violated, among other things, by polarizing school books. The textbooks that are used for teaching Islam spread an ideology that is hateful and directed against those who do not profess Islamic Wahhabism.

Situation of the woman

In Saudi Arabia the rights of women are restricted; the country ratified the UN Women's Rights Convention on September 7, 2000 with reservations against Art. 9 Para. 1 and Art. 29 Para. 1, and has not yet ratified the Additional Protocol to the Women's Rights Convention. In the Global Gender Gap Report 2018, the country ranked 141st out of 149 for gender equality .

It is now mandatory that every woman has an identity card or travel document, but until August 2019 a woman was not allowed to leave the country without the permission of her guardian. Women in Saudi Arabia have had the freedom to travel since August 2019. Since the beginning of 2008 women have been allowed to live alone in a hotel; previously they were only allowed to do this if accompanied by a “male legal guardian” .

Local women are usually subject to statutory male guardianship . The always male guardian is usually the father, brothers or possibly an uncle until marriage. After marriage, the husband is the guardian. The guardian is jointly responsible for crimes committed by a woman; in the case of minor offenses it is often the case that the male guardian has to answer to the court, in the case of larger offenses it is usually both. Since 2004 women have been allowed to run their own companies d. H. bear your own responsibility for it.

Women can be released from the compulsory guardianship imposed on them in court, but must be able to prove that the guardian abused, raped, tortured or forced them to do things that are incompatible with Islam (e.g. Prostitution or anal sex). The guardian will then be held accountable for these offenses, unless there is an out-of-court settlement between the couple after the delivery (e.g. compensation).

Women were banned from driving motor vehicles until June 2018; in October 2005 King Abdullah confirmed that nothing would change in the near future. The king himself supported the lifting of the driving ban, but made this dependent on the approval of the general public. Women have only been allowed to attend schools since 1966. In the meantime, liberalization in the education sector has advanced so far that the majority of students are women. You have to follow the lectures of male lecturers on the screen, because in the university as in the whole public space the principle applies that women are not allowed to have any personal contact with unrelated men and men are not allowed to have any personal contact with unrelated women. That is why there are often areas in the kingdom that are reserved for one gender, such as buses, shopping centers or restaurants. Hessah Al-Oun , the chairwoman of the city council of Rawda , a district of Jeddah, pushed through the construction of a public (state) leisure and sports park for women in March 2008. Until then, such facilities were only offered by private owners.

In June 2006, six women were appointed to the advisory council of ministers (shura) of the Saudi government council, which previously consisted of only men. Women were granted the right to vote and stand for election in municipal elections in 2015.

Many professions were not accessible to women, today almost every profession is accessible to them, but under the condition of strict gender segregation at the workplace, which causes a problem with employment in foreign companies, which is why the strict separation - e.g. B. for the canteen area - should be relaxed, which the Orthodox clergy tries to prevent.

Since mid-February 2018, women have been allowed to use government online services and become entrepreneurs without the consent of their husband, father or brother. They are still prevented from studying or traveling without the consent of a male family member.

For some years now, the government has been trying to take partial liberalization measures. In the last Chamber of Commerce elections, two women were elected to the board. The chairwoman of the World Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia is a woman. With Thoraya Obaid for the first time a Saudi woman is the director of the United Nations Population Fund .

Veil obligation

Woman with a “simple” niqab - although not a legal requirement, widespread in Saudi Arabia

The veil is not explicitly mentioned in the constitution of the kingdom; that women must wear it in public anyway, results from Art. 1, 23 and 45. The veil should cover the whole body with the exception of the face and hands and should be simple and not attractive so that men do not pay attention to it become. In the central provinces (Riyadh and Buraida) you can see women veiling their face and hands, this is seen as particularly "decent", but is not required by law.

Female family members of non-Islamic expatriates or other visitors to the kingdom must cover the body with a black robe, but can leave their hair uncovered. While this is rarely seen in the inner provinces, in the industrial cities of the Persian Gulf it is common among Western and Far Eastern women not to veil their hair. In contrast to Iran, where the veiling of female hair follows a doctrine and the revealing wearing of the headscarf is very common, the Saudi tradition follows a pragmatic veiling of femininity. This allows the hair to be left uncovered.

See also: Veiling in Islam

homosexuality

Homosexual acts are a criminal offense in Saudi Arabia. Offenses are usually punished with corporal punishment or imprisonment. The death penalty can be imposed for sexual intercourse between men, whereas women are usually only punished with lashes. At the end of 2007, two men were sentenced to 7,000 lashes each for homosexual intercourse. So far, only men have been convicted of this crime; according to official figures, four men have been executed for homosexual intercourse. There is no known criminal case of female homosexuality in Saudi Arabia.

Behavior towards foreign guests

Of course, all restrictions on personal and political freedom also apply to foreign guests. The practice of religions other than Islam is only permitted in private areas in isolated residential areas. Islamic pilgrims, who travel to Mecca in their millions every year, are also subject to many conditions, for example amulets are often removed from pilgrims because the Wahhabis consider them pagan. There are also strict clothing and behavioral regulations, which are interpreted according to the conservative Wahhabi understanding of Islam.

Situation of the guest workers

Since the oil boom in the 1940s, millions of guest workers have been brought into the country by the royal family. In 1996, the share of guest workers in the working population was 73%. The government has been trying to steadily reduce this proportion since the late 1990s. In April 2006, a new labor law came into force aimed at pushing guest workers out of the country. However, the majority of these workers (particularly from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh) are employed in low-wage segments of the private sector that the local population has so far avoided. Public relations, office work, postal service, car sales, retail trade or activities as tour guides may not be carried out by guest workers. But the new law also strengthens the rights of guest workers: employers are required to have written employment contracts and to assume all costs of entry and exit.

However, as in many other areas, the law and its application are twofold, for example 1.5 million female domestic workers of East Asian origin in the kingdom often have to work up to 20 hours a day and are often mistreated.

For western guest workers, who mostly work as specialists in the oil sector or in management for international companies, isolated settlements have often been built in which they can live largely undisturbed. But guest workers from third world countries are also restricted and controlled in their private lives. Naturalization of guest workers, no matter how long they live in the country, almost never happens. In contrast, the number of executed non-Muslim guest workers from Asia is disproportionately high.

Expulsion

The expulsion of foreign guests is a common punishment for minor offenses, especially for citizens of Western allies (USA, Europe). For example, non-observance of religious customs can lead to expulsion. On October 10, 2004, for example, the Ministry of the Interior issued a statement that all non-Muslims would be expelled from the country if they did not keep the commandments of Ramadan. In the 1990s, 350,000 to 450,000 illegals, such as refugees, were also expelled from Africa every year .

But radical Islamists have also been expelled from the country in the past. A well-known case was the expulsion of Osama bin Laden in 1991, after US soldiers were stationed to protect against Iraq, who , despite his high position in business and society, was expelled for agitation against the regime.

Political and Social Rights

Freedom of movement

Since January 2008 women in Saudi Arabia have been allowed to stay in hotels alone (without their male guardian), and since June 2018 they have been allowed to drive. However, they are not allowed to appear before a court or travel abroad without their permission without a male guardian.

Reform friends who were arrested in March 2004 and subsequently released were reportedly banned from speaking in the press and banned from traveling abroad. Human Rights Watch asked the national human rights organization to obtain more detailed information about these restrictions. Human Rights Watch said the Saudi Interior Ministry interfered with the freedom of expression and movement of Saudi citizens. These Saudi citizens' passports have been confiscated and they are not allowed to leave the country.

The freedom of movement of foreign guests is usually severely restricted by entries in the identity paper. For example, pilgrims are only allowed to visit the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

Freedom of assembly

Demonstrations are forbidden, there is a general ban on gatherings . About 2,000 people protested in several cities across the country in July and August 2006 against Israel's bombing raids on Lebanon in the 2006 Lebanon War . Several people were arrested in connection with this. In September, 300 Shiites demonstrated against the continued detention of several religious brothers who had been arrested in April 2000 in connection with protests and rioting. Some protesters were arrested.

In February 2009, members of the Religious Police (CPVPV) filmed Shiite women visiting the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed in Medina. When a group of Shiite men and women visiting the tomb demonstrated in front of the CPVPV offices in Medina to hand over the video footage, the protesters were attacked by religious police; several of them were injured and at least nine were arrested but released a week later. According to Interior Minister Prince Naif ibn Abd al-Aziz , some people from the Sunni community were also arrested.

The best-known opposition group is the Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia (MIRA), based in London . She advocates the separation of powers , freedom of expression and women's rights , things that MIRA denies the Saudi government. The group called for a demonstration in Saudi Arabia in 2003, during which the Saudi police made over 350 arrests. The chairman of the MIRA is the doctor Sa'ad al-Faqih . The Saudi government classifies him and his group, like the US government allied with the Saudi government , as terrorist and therefore refuses to negotiate.

Freedom of association and association

There are no legal political parties . Parties, opposition, strikes and trade unions are officially banned by the king. Even so, there are four notable parties in Saudi Arabia that work underground and are prosecuted:

Independent human rights organizations, such as the Human Rights First Society, are also illegal and have to work underground. The fanatical organization of the Muslim Brotherhood , on the other hand, has been tolerated since the 1930s. However, they appear neither as a reform movement nor as a party. Although their ideas about the state religion differ and there are differences of opinion, they are largely left alone by the Saudi government. The works of Sayyid Qutb are permitted; they are partly praised and partly criticized by spiritual authorities.

Suffrage

Since Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy, its citizens have no right to vote. Ministerial posts are mostly occupied by members of the Saud family. All government officials and judges are appointed by the king or his confidante.

Approaches to Democratization

However, since 1953 (reformed in 1992) the king has had an advisory council of ministers. It has 150 members who hold this position for four years. Half of the ministers are appointed by the king, the other half were elected for the first time in 2005, but only by the male population over the age of 22. The turnout was low, however, in the capital Riyadh it was only 29.8%. In the next elections (2009) women and men should vote from the age of 22. In June 2006 six women were appointed to the council by the king for the first time.

Laws are usually enacted by a resolution of the Council of Ministers and subsequent ratification by royal decree . However, if the king so wishes, he can also enact laws on his own.

There are open reservations about the principles of popular sovereignty, the separation of powers and human rights. Article 1 of the constitution states that the Koran and the tradition of the Prophet (Sunna) form the constitution of the kingdom. In addition, since the change to a secular and secular democracy would call into question the legitimacy of the royal family, its introduction is considered unlikely.

right to education

Courtyard of the King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah

In the 1990s and the beginning of the 21st century, Saudi Arabia was considered the country with the highest population growth rates in the world. Around 60% of the population was under the age of 18 in 2003. But the enormous surplus of young people also leads to problems in the education sector as well as in the labor market .

There is a nine-year compulsory education for both genders. The Saudi children receive their “basic education” in Koran schools that are in every village. In this way, the teachings of the Wahhabiya are brought closer to the children from an early age. (see section on freedom of conscience ). The state pays the training costs from elementary school to university degree. The enrollment rate is 91%. There are eight universities and 65 colleges, including in Dammam, Zahran, Jeddah, Medina and Riyadh. 17 colleges are reserved for women. As in the whole of society, gender segregation prevails, i. H. Educational institutions are either only for men or only for women. Lectures by male doctors or professors follow the female students on a screen.

The strict segregation of the sexes in schools is at the same time the basic requirement of sexual education in school lessons, and topics that explain social contact and dealing with the opposite sex have also recently been taught. It is hoped that this will also lower the divorce rate.

Deficits in the education system, which also affect the labor market, are: overweighting of religious education, lack of technical training, lack of engineers and trained IT staff, weaknesses in vocational training. Only 14% of young professionals have a technical or scientific degree, whereas the majority of university graduates have a degree in religion or the humanities that is unsuitable for the private sector. Many of these graduates then become religious policemen, judges, religion teachers, or government officials.

Right to employment and fair wages

There is very high unemployment in Saudi Arabia. The proportion of unemployed men between the ages of 20 and 40 was estimated at 30% in 2006. In addition to an industrialization program worth billions, which is intended to stimulate the domestic economy and make it independent of oil, a new labor law came into force in April 2006. The most important labor market policy instrument in this is the Saudization program , which is to increasingly replace guest workers with their own nationals. The companies are obliged to increase their share of the Saudi Arabian workforce to 75%. The Minister of Labor can reduce this percentage if there are no qualified Saudi Arabian workers available. This program is accompanied by a strict visa policy. The law also reserves 22 areas of activity exclusively from Saudis and provides for companies to be obliged to train in order to gradually replace guest workers with Saudi workers.

Women should be given the right to employment in all areas. They are not supposed to work at night, are entitled to maternity leave and in larger companies (from 50 employees) to child minders or even (from 100 employees) to a kindergarten. Women made up 10.7% of the workforce in 2006 and acquire more university degrees than men. However, they continue to work primarily in education, social services, health and media.

War on terror

In 2007 annual report, Amnesty International points out that, especially in the " war on terror " , the international law has been violated several times. Clashes between security forces and armed groups continued in several parts of the country. In clashes with security forces in al-Yarmuk district , Riyadh region, at least five men on the government's wanted list for suspicious members of the al-Qaeda network were reportedly killed in a boarding house .

Numerous people suspected of being in contact with the al-Qaeda terrorist network were arrested. In March, June and August, more than 100 people were reportedly arrested in Mecca, Medina and the capital Riyadh alone.

Fouad Hakim , a suspect, was apparently held without charge from December 2006 until his release in November 2007, according to Amnesty International. The doctor Muhiddin Mugne Haji Mascat was imprisoned for several months for allegedly treating a terrorist suspect with medical treatment.

In July, Libyan Abdullah Hassan and British national Abdel Hakim Mohammed Jellaini were released without charge on charges of funding terrorist organizations. Their passports, however, have been confiscated so that they cannot leave the country.

In May and June 2007, 24 inmates with Saudi citizenship and one inmate with Chinese citizenship were released from Guantanamo and taken to Saudi Arabia. Upon arrival, they were arrested and detained by security forces. Some of them were sentenced to an additional year in prison for forgery and others were released.

Reforms

Under Khalid ibn Abd al-Aziz , the steadily advancing opening towards the West suffered a setback in 1979. A radical, Sunni group had brought the Great Mosque in Mecca under their control and demanded the overthrow of the royal family, because, in their opinion, they no longer governed strictly according to the rules of Islam. The ulema legitimized action against the occupiers. But one condition for the legal opinion of the Islamic scribes, which allowed the use of weapons in the holy area of ​​the mosque, was that the royal family had to restrict its opening to the West from this point on.

With King Fahd , a reform of the slow “democratic opening” began again . But even for Fahd, democratization of the country along the western lines was out of the question. He justified this with: "The people of this region in the world are unsuitable for the democratic understanding of the western states of the world." The reforms took place without the concepts of democracy and the rule of law having been found in Saudi Arabia's political discourse.

In 2004 the “National Authority for Human Rights” was founded. Their job is to document and forward human rights violations. Its long-term goal is to improve the human rights situation. The authority is subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior; its construction is not yet complete.

For some years now, the government has also been trying to take partial liberalization measures with regard to women's rights. In the last Chamber of Commerce elections, two women were appointed to the board. The chairwoman of the World Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia is a woman. With Thoraya Obaid for the first time a Saudi woman is the director of the United Nations Population Fund .

General statements on human rights

Saudi Arabia largely rejects the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948 as incompatible with Islam. When they passed, Saudi Arabia abstained and did not sign the declaration. The country also repeatedly rejected later accessions with reference to the Koran. At a controversial conference in 1990 of the member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference , the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam was adopted. The Council of the League of Arab States separately adopted an Arab Charter of Human Rights in September 1994 , and in January 2004 in a revised version.

literature

  • Guido Steinberg: Saudi Arabia: Politics - History - Religion. Beck, 2004, ISBN 978-3-406-51112-7
  • Bassam Tibi: In the shadow of Allah. Ullstein Verlag, ISBN 3-548-36388-1
  • Mark Hollingsworth: Saudi Babylon: Torture, Corruption and Cover-Up Inside the House of Saud. Mainstream Publishing, 2006, ISBN 978-1-84596-185-5
  • Jean P. Sasson: I, Princess Sultana - freedom for me and my sisters. Blanvalet, 2006, ISBN 978-3-442-36553-1
  • Carmen Bin Ladin: The Torn Veil: My Life in Saudi Arabia. Droemer / Knaur, 2005, ISBN 978-3-426-77768-8
  • Sami Alrabaa: The Tyranny of a Thousand Princes. About life in lawlessness. Rowohlt Tb., 1998, ISBN 978-3-499-22236-8

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Esther Saoub: Merkel and King Abdallah talk about the Middle East. In: Tagesschau.de . November 7, 2007, archived from the original on November 7, 2007 ; accessed on October 8, 2016 .
  2. ↑ Saudi Arabia. In: Freedom in the World. Freedom House , accessed October 8, 2016 .
  3. ↑ Democracy index 2012: Democracy at a standstill. (PDF) A report from The Economist Intelligence Unit. The Economist , p. 8 , accessed October 8, 2016 .
  4. ↑ Executive highlights. (PDF) In: 2012 Index of Economic Freedom. Heritage Foundation , p. 10 , accessed October 8, 2016 .
  5. ↑ Living and working in Saudi Arabia. (No longer available online.) German Embassy in Riyadh, archived from the original on September 30, 2016 ; accessed on September 30, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.saudiarabien.diplo.de
  6. ^ The power of religions by Wilfried Röhrich, CH Beck, 2004, p. 98
  7. ↑ Islam in the Presence by Werner Ende, Udo Steinbach, Renate Laut, CH Beck, 2005, p. 542
  8. ^ The Basic Law. In: Saudi Arabian Market Information Resource. Panarc International Group, accessed September 30, 2016 .
  9. ↑ a b c Saudi Arabia. Country report. (No longer available online.) Amnesty International , archived from the original on October 19, 2016 ; accessed on October 6, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.amnesty.de
  10. ^ The Foundation of the Society. National Society For Human Rights, accessed October 8, 2016 .
  11. ^ Criminological foundations of an international criminal justice system by Frank Neubacher, Mohr Siebeck, 2005, p. 81.
  12. ↑ Saudi Arabia: Politics, History, Religion by Guido Walter Steinberg, CH Beck, 2004, p. 170
  13. ↑ Six thieves beheaded. In: taz.de . April 5, 2005, accessed September 30, 2016 .
  14. ↑ Four beheadings in Saudi Arabia. In: todesstrafe.de. Kahr Media, January 23, 2008, accessed October 5, 2016 .
  15. ↑ Death penalty against juveniles. (PDF) Amnesty International , October 4, 2015, accessed October 5, 2016 .
  16. ^ Report of the UN human rights commissioner
  17. ↑ Facts and figures on the death penalty. Amnesty International Austria, March 2009, archived from the original on March 25, 2009 ; Retrieved October 5, 2016 .
  18. ↑ Executions in Saudi Arabia. (Year 2007). In: todesstrafe.de. Kahr Media, accessed October 5, 2016 .
  19. ↑ A comparison of advertising in Germany and selected Arab countries by Jana von Ciriacy, GRIN Verlag, 2008, p. 7
  20. ^ Executions after offenses and crimes in Saudi Arabia. In: todesstrafe.de. Kahr Media, accessed October 5, 2016 .
  21. ↑ Business Know-how Gulf States by Béatrice Hecht-El Minshawi, Redline Economy, 2008, p. 146.
  22. ↑ a b Saudi Arabia: Brief Country Report, October 2008. (PDF) (No longer available online.) Amnesty International , October 2008, p. 2 , archived from the original on March 4, 2016 ; Retrieved October 5, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.amnesty.de
  23. ↑ a b c Saudi Arabia: Annual Report 2007. (No longer available online.) Amnesty International , archived from the original on June 2, 2016 ; Retrieved October 5, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.amnesty.de
  24. ^ Human Rights Watch, Human rights in Saudi Arabia: A deafening silence, Washington, 2001, p. 11
  25. ↑ Bassam Tibi: Im Schatten Allahs , Ullstein Verlag, 2003, p. 303
  26. ↑ Guido Walter Steinberg: Saudi Arabia: Politics, History, Religion , CH Beck, Munich 2004, p. 129
  27. ↑ Ranking list of press freedom 2008. Reporters Without Borders , October 22, 2008, archived from the original on May 4, 2009 ; accessed on October 6, 2016 .
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