RIYADH, 9 September 2007 — The Human Rights Commission, Saudi Arabia’s government-funded rights watchdog, has brought to the attention of the Ministry of Social Affairs various rights violations that it took notice of during a recent visit to the Social Education Center for Boys in Riyadh, according to a senior official of the organization.
Dr. Zuhair Al-Harithi, the spokesman for the HRC, said that he had been instructed by the organization’s president, Turki Al-Sudairi, to visit the rehabilitation center to take note of the services provided there.
“During the visit, the HRC noted several negative aspects that violate the humanitarian goals for which the center was built,” Al-Harithi said.
Among the violations recorded were the appalling hygienic conditions, poor maintenance, deteriorating construction, insufficient provision for food, lack of supervision, and finally the conditions of lavatories, which the HRC described as “inappropriate.”
Other notable violations have been listed in an HRC report sent to officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs.
“The HRC has conveyed to the ministry all its observations and is hopeful that it will cooperate (in efforts to improve the plight of the inmates),” Al-Harithi noted. He said that the HRC would be more than welcome in assisting the ministry to achieve its goals.
The HRC official also mentioned that neglecting the youths at the center and not providing them with basic care could have drastic consequences.
The HRC had previously brought to the attention of Abdul Mohsen Al-Akkas, minister of social affairs, the urgent need to establish more centers to accommodate victims of domestic violence across the Kingdom.
