Allow Human Rights Monitors into Saudi Arabia!

Every day the most fundamental human rights of people living in 
Saudi Arabia are violated, yet rarely is this fact publicized. The 
Saudi Arabian government spares no effort to keep its appalling 
human rights record a secret, and other governments have shown 
themselves more than willing to help maintain the secrecy.

Secrecy and fear permeate every aspect of the state structure in Saudi
 Arabia. There are no political parties, no elections, no independent
 legislature, no trades unions, no independent judiciary, and no
 independent human rights organizations.

The government allows no international human rights organizations
 to carry out research in the country and it ignores requests by such
 organizations for information. The Kingdom has effective control
 over all kinds of information: there is strict censorship of media within
 the country and strict control ofaccess to the Internet, satellite television
 and other forms of communication with the outside world. Anyone
 living in Saudi Arabia who criticizes this system is harshly punished.
 After arrest, political and religious opponents of the government are
 detained indefinitely without trial or  are imprisoned after grossly unfair
 trials. Torture is endemic. Executions, flogging and amputations are
 imposed and carried out with disregard for the most basic international
 fair trial standards.

The climate of fear and secrecy makes the monitoring of human rights
 in Saudi Arabia a difhcult task.

Amnesty International has persistently asked the govemment for information
 and clarification regarding reports of human rights abuses, individual
 cases, statistics and legislative provisions.

Repeatedly Amnesty has asked the Saudi government to allow
 human rights monitors into the country. To date those requests 
have been unsuccessful. Because the US government has close 
ties to Saudi Arabia, US members ofAmnesty International are calling
 on the US State Department to use its influence to help gain entry
 for human rights monitors.

Act Now!
Contact Secretary of State Madeleine Albrigh and urge her to pressure 
Saudi Arabia to allow in human rights monitors.

Call:
(202) 647-6575

Write:
Madeleine K. Albright
Secretary of State
Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 25210

Talking points:

* Secretary Albright, I urge you to to press the
government of Saudi Arabia to allow Amnesty
International and other human rights organizations
to enter the country.

* Secrecy and fear permeate every aspect of the state
structure in Saudi Arabia.  There are no political
parties, no elections,no independent legislature,
no trades unions, no independent judiciary, and
no independent human rights organizations.

* Executions, floggings and amputations are imposed
and carried out with disregard for the most basic
international fair trial standaards, and torture in
the country is endemic.

* Your leadership helped convince the Algerian
government to allow Amnesty International after a
four year ban.  Opening the doors in Saudi Arabia to
human rights organizations such as Amnesty 
International can help end the secrecy and stop
human rights abuses in the country.