THE RISING CRACKDOWN ON FREE SPEECH AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS IN SAUDI ARABIA - The Atlantic Council’s Strategic Litigation Project invites you to a hybrid panel discussion about the arbitrary detention of individuals in Saudi Arabia for expressing peaceful criticism, concern, and opposition to the practices of the Saudi government. This includes impact to the voices of women, human rights defenders and activists, and ordinary citizens peacefully expressing their concerns and critiques.

The expert panel will discuss applicable international legal obligations for human rights protections in Saudi Arabia and avenues for accountability.

In recent years, human rights organizations and activists have voiced growing concerns over an escalation in Saudi authorities’ crackdowns on fundamental rights, including the right to freedom of expression. In addition to extensive censorship and surveillance, reports have raised alarm over the use of anti-terrorism laws in Saudi Arabia to target citizens and activists. In 2022 alone, Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court sentenced at least 15 individuals to lengthy sentences or the death penalty for their expression, including peaceful online speech on X, formerly known as Twitter.

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 03/27/2024