JEDDAH: The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) is dealing with a large number of domestic cases as well as cases involving Saudi citizens abroad, said Hussein Al-Sharif, general supervisor of the NSHR in Makkah province. He also called for a national strategy to develop a human rights culture in the Kingdom.
“We closely followed the case of Saudi detainees in Guantanamo Bay and were able to convey the views of their families to US officials,” said Al-Sharif.
He said the society was now working on Saudi prisoners in Iraq and was cooperating with organizations such as the International Red Cross and the Iraqi Human Rights Ministry.
Al-Sharif said the society was also working on expanding and opening more branches in different parts of the Kingdom.
He called for a wide-ranging national strategy to develop a culture of human rights and asked a number of government bodies to be included in the strategy, such as the Ministry of Information and Culture, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, the Presidency of Youth Welfare, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and others.
Commenting on foreign workers in the Kingdom, Al-Sharif said some foreign embassies and consulates were slow in responding to cases involving their citizens in Saudi Arabia. He added that this is particularly the case with prisoners who have lost their passports.
He also said that the NSHR monitors complaints from foreign workers in the Kingdom and that their consulates are often reluctant to become involved. Such missions, he said, are often unwilling to appoint lawyers or send representatives.
Al-Sharif underlined the need for more specialized human rights organizations in the Kingdom to help people with AIDS, drug addicts and children. He said this was important and that the new system of allowing private and civil societies permits this.
Speaking about the large number of complaints that the NSHR receives, he said this was normal as the NSHR is the only nongovernmental human rights organization in the country.
The NSHR branch in the province has received more than 7,000 cases of human rights violations so far, he said, describing this as natural because the society did not have branches in many cities, including Madinah.
Al-Sharif said the society was planning to open separate files on certain general issues such as racial discrimination, and the Kingdom’s judiciary and prisons. He said he expects pressure on the society to be reduced as the culture of human rights among both citizens and expatriates increases. He said with more awareness, complaints would decrease, as the NSHR was now receiving complaints that are not within its jurisdiction and could be solved directly through concerned government departments.
Al-Sharif said the society has enough resources to finance all of its activities, but said the funds were not sufficient to meet the cost of expansion. He called for more donations in line with the society’s rules.
