Saudi Police Murdering Shiite Protesters in Repressive Crackdown

Saudi Riot Police Kill Shiite Civilians
by Saudi Human Rights – December 1, 2011 – Hudson New York

Since February, Saudi authorities have cracked down on protests in Qatif and Al-Ahsa in the oil-producing Eastern Province, in which protesters demanded an end of the long-lasting discrimination against Shia and the release of nine prisoners who have been held for 16 years without a trial. As a result, Saudi authorities have arrested more 380 persons, including activists and intellectuals. In addition, women and children were part of the arrested. As of now, about 50 persons are still detained, including the human rights activist, Fadhil Al-Manasif, and the writers, Nadeer Al-Majid, Ali Al-Dubaisi, and Zakaria Al-Safwan. Most of the arrested have been banned from traveling and fired from their jobs.

During the protests, riot police have beaten protesters, causing injuries and have harassed and reviled them, using anti-Shiites bigotry (like Farida, Iranian agents, and “Safaris”), reflecting a lack of integrity in dealing with protesters.

Moreover, since the protests have begun, Saudi security forces have fired live bullets at protesters (the attached table details the cases of protesters who have been shot). However, the firing of live bullets has intensified lately, causing the deaths of two persons: Nasser Al-Maharishi (19-years-old), killed near a police check-point; and Ali Al-Filfil, killed in a subsequent heated demonstration after the killing of Maharishi..

These acts violate international human rights law, including free assembly. The violating acts inclde opening fire on protesters; beating them with sticks; unwarranted arrests; firing from jobs, and banning protesters from traveling. Violations have also now reached the serious level of murdering civilians.

Since February, Saudi authorities have failed to take any legal actions to hold accountable those who opened fired on civilians.v …more – list of those murdered by Saudi Forces