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Human Rights in Saudi Arabia: An Update

Date:
Location:
Virtual briefing via Cisco WebEx

Announcement

Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for an online briefing  on the current human rights situation in Saudi Arabia.

On November 21 and 22, Saudi Arabia will host world leaders for the annual G20 summit on the theme “Realizing Opportunities of the 21st Century for All.” In preparation for the G20, the Saudi government hosted the W20 Women’s Summit in late October. These events are taking place even as Saudi Arabia maintains a repressive male guardianship system that severely limits women’s fundamental human rights, and jails, prosecutes and tortures those who speak against it, including Defending Freedoms Project prisoners of conscience Loujain al-Hathloul, Nouf Abdelaziz al-Jerawi, and Samar Badawi. Nor is repression limited to advocates for women’s rights. Raif Badawi remains in prison for blogging, as does his lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair, a human rights activist in his own right. In recent years the Saudi government has intensified its pursuit at home and abroad of those who criticize its medieval policies, as evidenced by the brutal state-sponsored assassination of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The briefing panel brings together victims of Saudi human rights abuses with researchers and advocates. Panelists will provide an up-to-date overview of the human rights situation in the Kingdom and offer recommendations for the incoming congress and administration.

This briefing will be open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the interested public and the media. To attend, please register here. For any questions, please contact Kimberly Stanton at 202-805-6308 (for Co-Chair McGovern) or Piero Tozzi at 202-225-3765 (for Co-Chair Smith). For help with registration or technical support, please contact Matt McLaughlin of the TLHRC staff.

Hosted by:

James P. McGovern
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC
Christopher H. Smith
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC
Witnesses

Opening Remarks

Panelists

Moderator

Bios

Resources

Video

Contact The Commission

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
4150 O'Neill House Office Building
200 C Street SW
Washington, D.C. 20515
United States of America

Phone: +1 (202) 225-3599
Fax: +1 (202) 226-6584
TLHRC@mail.house.gov

Accessibility

The Commission seeks to make its events, meetings and hearings accessible to persons with disabilities.

If you are in need of special accommodations, please call (202) 225-3599 at least four business days in advance.

Questions with regard to special accommodations in general (including availability of Commission materials in alternative formats and assistive listening devices, sign language interpretation, etc.) may be directed to the Commission.

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