They covered the rights of prisoners, the right to work and a safe work environment, cases involving abuse and torture, social, medical and financial rights as well as the right to a national identity card.
The HRC offered consultations, either over the phone or face-to-face, for many of the presented cases, while its reconciliation committee handled and resolved 146 cases, including three involving capital punishment.
Through its committee for follow up and investigation, HRC followed up on the complaints until they were resolved, while referring cases that were not solved with bodies of concerns.
The commission paid close and special attention to the protection of prisoners' rights. Through continuous and frequent visits to detention facilities in various parts of the Kingdom, the HRC practiced its right stated in paragraph 6 of Article 5 of its charter that allows it visit to the detention facilities and prisons at any time without needing the consent of the facility in question.
The commission put forward a number of recommendations, some of which were applied during the visit, while others were forwarded to relevant authorities and followed up.
The HRC's representatives stressed the need to commit to the international standards for detention facilities with regard to legal and jurisdictional rights, numbers of prisoners and detainees in the wards, the standard of food presented and health care facilities and training opportunities.
The representatives met with prisoners and listened to their complaints without the attendance of the facility employees, after which the commission presented a report on the conditions of prisons to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
The HRC also paid visits to the General Investigations Authority’s prisons, confirming that it ensured the rights of the detainees and the convicts were being guaranteed, including their right to a fair trial, and speeding up the investigations and prosecution procedures in accordance with the rules and regulations in the Kingdom.
The commission confirmed in a statement published in newspapers that it keeps records of all the detainees' names, enabling it to follow up on legal procedures on their behalf.
The HRC detected violations of human rights through visits to detention facilities, stories published in the media, written, verbal and telephone complaints, and communicated its concerns to relevant authorities.
The commission also recommended those bodies to be transparent when dealing with human rights cases, and to reiterate the duties and rights of citizens and expatriates they offer their services to. It followed up closely with bodies that did not respond to its recommendations.
On an international level, HRC reviewed all reports and writings published by various organizations, preparing related responses and clarifications in light of Islamic teachings, the Kingdom's laws and international agreements the government had signed.
The commission provides its views on many human rights projects, revises existing laws and suggests amendments.
Human Rights Commission delegations, with members from all related official bodies, participated in the special sessions for a periodical review of Human Rights Council reports and presented their feedback.
As stipulated in its charter, the HRC on an international level was able to cooperate with international, regional and national organizations, institutes and societies working in the field of human rights to fulfill its goals and achieve, in a short period, a distinguished position.
The HRC in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, follows up human rights cases involving Saudis abroad, especially if they are in prison, and conducts many visits for this purpose. It also participated in a study on the negative impacts of the Jeddah floods in 2009 and 2011 and drafted a report on the issue.
A team from the HRC was assembled to review the reasons behind the spreading of the genetic disease Thalassaemia in some provinces, after which it presented recommendations to the king that were approved and relevant directives issued to the concerned bodies.
The commission was able to make a breakthrough in some marriages involving young children by annulling them, recommending a minimum age for marriage and working with the Ministry of Justice in solving some of these cases.
The HRC also recommended that guardians preventing women from marrying, marrying off a minor, and similar offenses should be categorized as human trafficking crimes and demanded by-laws to preserve the right of young girls.
The commission also reviewed environmental issues, specifically the building of dams that causes pollution in some areas of the Kingdom, and took immediate actions to resolve them in coordination with concerned bodies.
With regard to raising awareness, HRC conducted the first stage of spreading a human rights culture and is working in the meantime on the execution of the second stage of the plan with the cooperation of official bodies.
The program aims to build awareness of human rights and introducing regulations, instructions and procedures that protect human rights while warning of the outcomes of violating them. It also works on ensuring the behavior and actions of those working with the public to adhere to human rights standards that are preserved by Islamic law and international agreements and conventions.
To introduce the means and tools to preserve human rights, the commission distributes brochures, booklets and folders on the subject at its offices, festivals and national occasions.
The HRC conducted several activities, including 12 workshops on human rights, six workshops on jurisdictional and international standards, six workshops on security arbitration, and a number of workshops for 28 official and private institutions on HRC's strategy.
The commission also held a number of discussion groups on human trafficking law with the attendance of concerned bodies, as well as a number of sessions and more than 40 lectures at universities, cultural clubs and chambers of commerce.
Considering its role in reaching out to all sections of society while ensuring confidentiality, the commission established nine offices in various parts of the Kingdom for women.
These offices for women carried out workshops in schools and institutions concerned with human rights, held meetings with women to prioritize human rights issues related to women, paid visits to hospitals, victims, and shelters, and prepared reports with recommendations on their findings. HRC’s women members also participated in international and local conferences.
The Human Rights Commission is currently working on a national strategy for human rights with the King Abdullah Institute for Studies and Research at King Saud University.
