Saudi law made to fend off threats of Democracy, human rights accountability

Saudi law warns US not to interfere in domestic affairs, democracy or human rights – advocate
4 February, 2014 – Voice of Russia

Saudi Arabia has signaled to the United States ahead of US President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to the country that human rights will be subordinated to the pursuit of terrorists. Unde the new law anyone who “insults the reputation of the state or its position” is now considered a terrorist, punishable by to up to 20 years in jail. Dr. Ali Alyami, the Executive Director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, discusses the motives of this legislation with the Voice of Russia.

Could you please explain to us this new piece of legislation? It was approved by the Cabinet back in December. But was there a time to talk about it, to discuss it or maybe to overrule it?

There are a couple of laws that were rectified by the King in the last two or three days. The one that was issued in December of last year was severely criticized by domestic people and also by the entire national media. And then on the eve of the president’s of the US visit to Saudi Arabia the King decided to rectify this and make it to the Saudi law.

The idea behind all of these laws are pretty defective actually. The fact that the government stated that it is objective is to deter and punish terrorist or terrorist-to-be when in fact they don’t need any homage because Saudi Arabia’s system is absolute system and there are no codified laws, it is a religious based judicial system and the judges could do whatever they want to do. …more