CAIRO, July 26, 2011
ANHRI condemned today blocking Amnesty International website by the Saudi authorities yesterday, for criticizing the draft of the anti-terror law that would restrict the right of Saudi citizens to organize any peaceful protest in the kingdom. The draft allows for a minimum 10-year prison sentence for “questioning the integrity” of the king or the Crown Prince.
Amnesty International announced on Monday that ” Access to Amnesty International website has been blocked in Saudi Arabia..following the organization’s criticism of a draft anti-terror law that would stifle peaceful protest in the kingdom.” the website was block in Saudi Arabia after a few days of Amnesty’s objection to the draft of the anti-terror law, describing this draft law as “oppressive”.
“Access to Amnesty International website has been blocked in Saudi Arabia today following the organization’s criticism of a draft anti-terror law that would stifle peaceful protest in the kingdom.” said Amnesty in a press release.
The draft law allows for suspects to be held in incommunicado detention for up to 120 days, or for longer periods – potentially indefinitely – if authorized by a specialized court, and deny them the right to challenge the lawfulness of their detention; in addition to the ambiguity of the definition of “terrorist crimes” enabling authorities to use it for punishing people for their peaceful expression of their views; moreover the absence of any judicial oversight, while the major disaster in the custody of doubt in the integrity of the King for not less than 10 years.
“Saudi Arabia comes at the top of the list of countries hostile to the liberties and pro-oppression wherever found, and its current policy, either in a law reluctant freedoms and codifies the repression is only desperate way will not work as it could not work before with the totalitarian regimes in the Arab World, and that the policy of repression, confiscation, exclusion, and censorship is a sign that the regime is afraid of change movement, which affected most countries of the Arab World.” said ANHRI.
