CITATION — REFERENCE ENTRY
Visit to Saudi Arabia: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism — United Nations Human Rights Council
- Key
- ohchr-ahrc-40-52-add2-saudi-visit
- Authors
- Emmerson, Ben
- Type
- report
- Publisher
- United Nations Human Rights Council
Raw CSL JSON
{
"URL": "https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/ahrc4052add2-visit-saudi-arabia-report-special-rapporteur-promotion-and",
"note": "Presented to the Human Rights Council at its 40th session. Consulted via the OHCHR summary page.",
"type": "report",
"title": "Visit to Saudi Arabia: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism",
"author": [
{
"given": "Ben",
"family": "Emmerson"
}
],
"number": "A/HRC/40/52/Add.2",
"accessed": {
"date-parts": [
[
2026,
9,
25
]
]
},
"publisher": "United Nations Human Rights Council"
}
Claims
-
The Special Rapporteur visited Al Hair and Dhahban prisons in 2017, examined the facilities and spoke with staff and inmates; he found the standard of care and conditions of detention, including medical, vocational and recreational facilities, above the norm, with generous provision for family and conjugal visits.
"He was particularly impressed by the conditions of detention in two of the five prisons that he visited, which were dedicated to holding those convicted or suspected of having committed terrorist offences. He visited Al Hair and Dhahban prisons, examined the facilities and spoke with both staff and inmates at both institutions. The standard of care, and the conditions of detention in these facilities, including medical, vocational training and recreational facilities, appeared above the norm. Generous provision is made for family and conjugal visits, and prisoners are encouraged to remain close to their families. Saudi Arabia can rightly be proud of the rehabilitative nature of the facilities in which it houses certain prisoners accused of terrorism."
-
According to figures made available to the UN Special Rapporteur, by January 2016 the SCC had tried 2,225 cases involving 6,122 defendants; the court initially focused on Al-Qaida-linked violence, but this began to change in 2010.
"according to figures made available to the Special Rapporteur, by January 2016, the court had tried 2,225 cases involving 6,122 defendants. The Special Rapporteur was reliably informed that the Court had initially focused on allegations of political violence linked to Al-Qaida. However, this began to change in 2010 and for the past eight years the Court has been increasingly used for the prosecution of human rights and political activists."
-
The Special Rapporteur found that Saudi Arabia's failure to provide minimum procedural safeguards during detention and interrogation, and its judicial practice of admitting coerced confessions, amount to a systematic and flagrant denial of justice; the SCC President assured him all rights were protected, which he did not accept.
"The President of the Specialized Criminal Court assured the Special Rapporteur that all the rights guaranteed to an accused person were protected. The Special Rapporteur does not accept that to be the case. ... The failure of Saudi Arabia to provide minimum procedural safeguards during detention and interrogation, and its judicial practice of admitting coerced confessions into evidence, strongly suggests that the practice is officially endorsed. The situation in Saudi Arabia amounts to a systematic and flagrant denial of justice in this regard."
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