RIYADH, 28 May 2007 — Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Harithy, the director general of prisons, said yesterday that prisoners in the Kingdom were not tortured or beaten on a large scale, and that beatings were “individual cases,” which should not be generalized.
Al-Harithy was referring to a report released last week by the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) in Saudi Arabia. “Regulations, directives and the constitution state clearly that there should not be any violations against prisoners. ... There are, however, individual mistakes, but that rarely happens. And if it does happen, then prisoner rights are fulfilled by punishing offenders,” he said.
In its first report on human rights in Saudi Arabia, the NSHR said some people remain in prison even after they have completed their term. It said in some cases inmates were beaten or tortured for confessions and sometimes they missed appeal court hearings because prison authorities forgot to remind them.
Al-Harithy criticized visits by foreign human rights groups to the Kingdom, which recently included prison visits by Human Rights Watch. “We do not need foreign organizations to come here and teach our sons and daughters human rights. We are obliged to protect human rights by ourselves without anyone coming from outside and implying that we have to care about human rights in ‘the land of humanity’,” he said.
Speaking to reporters following the conclusion of the “Prisoner and Society Symposium,” which was organized by the Prisons Department, Al-Harithy said that the proposed educational council was to be launched in the new prison system. “The council will determine disciplinary measures against inmates who commit violations such as organizing protests and strikes,” he said. The council will consist of members from the General Directorate of Prisons, the Ministry of Education and rehabilitation experts.
Al-Harithy said drug abuse was rampant among prisoners and pointed fingers at security guards, inmates and cleaners for smuggling drugs inside. He said inspection units were currently in place to search people entering prisons in an effort to put an end to the phenomenon.
The official denied that citizens or residents were detained for long periods without trial. “Regulations dictate that investigators are not allowed to keep a prisoner in jail for more than six months without transferring the case to court,” he said, adding that investigations were normally completed within five to 40 days.
