In a joint statement today, 14 human rights organizations, including DAWN, said Saudi authorities should immediately lift the illegal travel ban imposed on leading human rights defender Loujain al-Hathloul. The court-imposed international travel ban expired six months ago today, but since then Al-Hathloul has been subject to an arbitrary travel ban with no expiration date, which is in accordance with international human rights law and the Kingdom. It violates both its own laws.
Al-Hathloul, one of Saudi Arabia's best-known women's rights defenders, was released on conditional terms on February 10, 2021, after being arrested, tortured and imprisoned for more than 1,000 days for her human rights work. was released. Her sentence imposed severe restrictions upon her release. This includes her probation period and a travel ban for two years and 10 months, until November 13, 2023. However, when she attempted to travel abroad in February 2024, she was told at the border that Al-Hathloul remained subject to permanent travel. Ban.
These groups call on the Saudi authorities to immediately stop this illegal activity and to seek legal action against the unofficial travel ban that has been arbitrarily imposed on Mr. Loujain al-Hathloul, his family, and the families of other activists. called for the lifting of all travel bans imposed by the United States. Current and former prisoners of conscience.
The full text of the letter and the list of signatories are below.
Saudi Arabia: NGOs renew calls for illegal travel ban on women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul to be lifted
The following signatories call on the Saudi authorities to immediately lift the illegal travel ban imposed on women human rights defenders. Lujain Al-Hathloul. Her court-imposed international travel ban expired six months ago today, but since then she has been subject to an arbitrary travel ban with no expiration date, violating both international human rights law and Saudi Arabia's own laws. is in violation of.
Al-Hathloul, one of Saudi Arabia's best-known women's rights defenders, was sentenced to a conditional release on February 10, 2021 after being arrested, tortured and imprisoned for more than 1,000 days for her human rights work. was released. Her sentence imposed severe restrictions upon her release. This includes her probation period and a travel ban for two years and 10 months, until November 13, 2023. However, when she attempted to travel abroad in February 2024, she was told at the border that her permanent travel ban remained in place. .
Many Saudi prisoners of conscience who have been conditionally released in recent years continue to face severe restrictions, including long-term travel bans. These are often applied up front as part of a judicial sentence and usually carry an additional term equal to the prison term itself. This already violates Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.[e]”Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and return to his own country.” However, the authorities are “informally A travel ban has also been imposed. Individuals like al-Hathloul often find out only when they attempt to leave the kingdom, whether by air or by land across the border. These bans are informal and have no legal basis, so there is no way to formally challenge them. Or apply for cancellation.
Due to travel ban measures, serious consequences It threatens the lives of victims and prevents them from pursuing personal and professional goals abroad, seeking professional medical care, and visiting family members abroad. This can have a significant impact on the mental and emotional well-being of both directly affected individuals and their families.
Saudi authorities have also repeatedly and intensified arbitrary travel bans against families of activists, including the remaining members of Saudi Arabia's al-Hathloul family, clearly a form of collective punishment, but not individual This is also to further deter people from engaging in criminal activities. Human rights work is done not only for one's own safety, but also for the safety of their relatives. appeal Repeated requests by Saudi nationals living abroad to the official Saudi Human Rights Commission (SHRC) to help lift arbitrary travel bans on their relatives in the kingdom have fallen on deaf ears.
Arbitrary travel bans are a direct violation of international law and a clear violation of the right to freedom of movement enshrined in international law. universal declaration of human rights (Article 13) and arab human rights charter (Article 21). According to it, they also violate Saudi Arabia's own legal framework. No person, except by judicial judgment or decision of the Home Secretary or the Secretary of National Security, for specific security-related reasons (usually related to financial crimes, child custody, or ongoing cases) Travel cannot be prohibited. (e.g., criminal investigation) and for a specified period of time.
Lina Al-Hathloul, Head of Monitoring and Advocacy, ALQST comment: “Ex-prisoners like my sister Loujain, who have been released but remain prohibited from traveling, are still prisoners in Saudi Arabia, although not yet free. Preventing our relatives from traveling for no reason is illegal and an unforgivable act of cruelty.”
We call on the Saudi authorities to immediately stop this illegal activity and to stop the unofficial travel ban arbitrarily imposed on Loujain al-Hathloul, his family, and the families of other activists, as well as the court-imposed Call for all travel bans to be lifted. Current and former prisoners of conscience. Authorities must respect and protect the internationally recognized right to freedom of movement.
Signer:
- ALQST for human rights
- dawn
- European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR)
- Femena
- FIDH (International Federation of Human Rights), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
- freedom house
- be free now
- Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR)
- International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
- MENA Rights Group
- Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC)
- pen america
- Vaclav Havel Library
- World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
