[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 190 (Wednesday, December 12, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S15228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    SAUDI ARABIA ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I wish to express my support for Senator 
Specter's Saudi Arabia Accountability Act of 2007, S. 2243. I am 
pleased to cosponsor this bill, which addresses the importance of Saudi 
cooperation with the U.S. on counterterrorism issues.
  It is also important, however, that we raise concerns about Saudi 
Arabia's poor human rights record, weak rule of law, ongoing political 
and religious repression, and poor treatment of women. For instance, 
last month a court in Saudi Arabia doubled its sentence of lashings for 
a rape victim who had elected to speak out publicly about her case and 
her attempt at justice. According to human rights organizations, the 
court also harassed her lawyer, banned him from the case, and 
confiscated his professional license.
  Similarly, 2 of the country's leading reformers, the brothers 
Abdullah and Isa al-Hamid, were recently sentenced to 6 months in jail 
after they themselves were arrested for reportedly requiring the Saudi 
intelligence forces to produce an arrest warrant when seeking to detain 
peaceful demonstrators protesting the lengthy imprisonment of their 
relatives.
  The State Department's 2007 human rights report notes that very 
serious problems persist in Saudi Arabia, including no right to 
peacefully change the government; infliction of severe pain by 
judicially sanctioned corporal punishments; beatings and other abuses; 
inadequate prison and detention center conditions; arbitrary arrest and 
detention, sometimes incommunicado; denial of fair public trials; 
exemption from the rule of law for some individuals and lack of 
judicial independence; arbitrary interference with privacy, family, 
home, and correspondence; and significant restriction of civil 
liberties--freedoms of speech and press, including the Internet; 
assembly; association; and movement. In addition, the Saudi government 
committed severe violations of religious freedom and has very strict 
limitations on workers, especially for foreign workers. While the State 
Department continues to condemn Saudi Arabia for its abhorrent policies 
on human trafficking--and place it in the worst tier for such abuses--
the President continues to waive sanctions that are supposed to be 
triggered by this designation, in the interest of national security.
  What message are we sending if we don't act on these pervasive human 
rights abuses in Saudi Arabia? Such abuses should not be overlooked or 
sidelined in the interest of national security. In fact, they are 
critical to our national security and our ongoing efforts to combat al-
Qaida and related extremist threats. The United States must continue to 
push for freedom of speech, religion, and association, and the rule of 
law around the globe. I will continue to support S. 2243, but also 
encourage my colleagues to also speak up about the crucial role that 
free and fair societies play in curbing human rights abuses and 
reducing the alienation, oppression and despair that feed extremism.

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