July 27, 2005
H.R.H. Prince Abdullah Ibn `Abd al-Aziz al-Saud
Royal Court
Riyadh
Saudi Arabia 11111
Your Royal Highness,
We are writing to you with regard to what appears to be an official campaign of intimidation and harassment directed against human rights activist Ibrahim al-Mugaiteeb. We request that the Royal Court look into this matter and, if necessary, instruct the office of General Intelligence in Dammam and other responsible authorities to cease these activities without delay and for the future.
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Mr. al-Mugaiteeb told Human Rights Watch that intelligence officers handcuffed him and forced him to stand throughout the three-hour interrogation session on June 15, despite his bad health.
Mr. al-Mugaiteeb leads a group of human rights activists under the name of “Human Rights First” in Saudi Arabia. He has been instrumental in bringing to light a number of human rights abuses and has been monitoring the trial, conviction and impending appeals ruling of `Ali al-Dumaini, Matruk al-Falih and `Abdullah al-Hamid, as well as the case of their imprisoned lawyer, `Abd al-Rahman al-Lahim. A Riyadh court on May 15, 2005 sentenced the three to harsh prison terms for writing a petition to you calling for constitutional reform which you yourself discussed in a meeting with a number of its authors.
At the conclusion of his interrogation on June 15, Mr. al-Mugaiteeb told Human Rights Watch that an intelligence officer forced him to sign a pledge to refrain from speaking to foreign diplomats and foreign media and to cease all human rights activities, in particular on behalf of the three sentenced petitioners. He signed this pledge in order to gain his release. Human Rights Watch seeks clarification from the Government of Saudi Arabia regarding the nature of Mr. al-Mugaiteeb’s involuntarily signed pledge and the Government’s reportedly widespread practice of obtaining such coerced pledges from detainees in general.
Mr. al-Mugaiteeb informed Human Rights Watch that General Intelligence also has called and harassed his close associates and family members before he himself was being summoned for interrogation on June 14, 2005. He said that a different intelligence officer called his minor son, `Abd al-`Aziz, to General Intelligence headquarters in Dammam and interrogated him about his father’s activities. They also asked him to sign a pledge, in this case to persuade his father to cease his human rights activities. To spare his son further embarrassment at school from being approached by intelligence officers about his father’s activities, Mr. al-Mugaiteeb urged him to sign the document. Nevertheless, Mr. al-Mugaiteeb continues in his legitimate human rights activism. After having failed to intimidate Mr. al-Mugaiteeb himself or through his minor son, General Intelligence officers then began pressuring family members and associates who are senior to Mr. al-Mugaiteeb with phone calls in the middle of the night. Human Rights Watch has received information that the Office of General Intelligence in Dammam is apparently persisting in and even increasing its harassment and intimidation of Mr. al-Mugaiteeb.
The Law on Criminal Procedure in Article 2 states: “No person shall be arrested, searched, detained, or imprisoned except in cases provided by law” and Article 16 states: “Whoever is arrested or detained shall be promptly notified of the reasons for his arrest or detention” The authorities have neither provided Mr. al-Mugaiteeb with any reasons under Saudi law for his detention, nor lodged any criminal charge against him.
Human Rights Watch calls on the Government of Saudi Arabia to cease all harassment of Mr. al-Mugaiteeb, his family and associates. The Government should allow independent human rights activists and organizations to monitor human rights developments in the kingdom and to advocate appropriate changes in government policies.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Sarah Leah Whitson
Executive Director
Middle East & North Africa Division
Human Rights Watch
Cc: HRH Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz al-Saud
Ambassador to the United States of America
HRH Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud
Ambassador to the United Kingdom
