[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 140 (Wednesday, August 22, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S5834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 613--REQUESTING A REPORT ON THE OBSERVANCE OF AND
RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOM IN SAUDI ARABIA
Mr. MERKLEY (for himself, Ms. Warren, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Gillibrand,
Mr. Wyden, Mr. Sanders, and Mr. Leahy) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 613
Whereas, in July 2018, the Government of Saudi Arabia
detained prominent women rights activists Samar Badawi and
Nassima al-Sada;
Whereas the United States Department of State presented Ms.
Badawi with the 2012 International Women of Courage Award in
recognition of her efforts with regard to the discriminatory
male guardianship system in Saudi Arabia;
Whereas the Department of State has declined to express
solidarity with the Government of Canada, which reacted
appropriately to news of the detention of Ms. Badawi and Ms.
al-Sada in expressing that it was ``gravely concerned about
additional arrests of civil society and women's rights
activists'' and calling upon ``Saudi authorities to
immediately release them and all other peaceful human-rights
activists'';
Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia reacted
disproportionately to criticism by the Government of Canada
by taking extreme retaliatory measures, including--
(1) expelling the Ambassador of Canada to Saudi Arabia and
recalling the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Canada;
(2) ordering the return of citizens of Saudi Arabia living
in Canada, including more than 1,000 medical students;
(3) shutting off new bilateral trade and investment with
Canada; and
(4) terminating direct commercial flights on Saudi Arabian
air carriers between Saudi Arabia and Canada;
Whereas Canada is an indispensable ally in the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization that shares the commitment of
the United States to equal rights and the rule of law and, in
defense of shared interests and values, Canada has fought and
sacrificed alongside the United States in each of the World
Wars and has contributed to Missions of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Libya, and
Central and Eastern Europe;
Whereas the arrest of Ms. Badawi and Ms. al-Sada, as well
as the ongoing detention of countless others such as blogger
Raif Badawi and human rights lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair, is
part of a disturbing pattern of human rights violations
committed by the Government of Saudi Arabia, which are
documented in more than 50 pages of the 2017 Human Rights
Report of the Department of State;
Whereas, among the human rights violations by the
Government of Saudi Arabia documented in that report, are
unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention,
restrictions on freedom of expression, violence and official
gender discrimination against women, and criminalization of
same-sex sexual activity;
Whereas the office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees assesses that airstrikes carried out by Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in Yemen accounted for 80
percent of all civilian casualties from December 2017 to May
2018 in the 5 governorates of Yemen most affected by
fighting; and
Whereas section 502B(a)(2) of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(a)(2)) states that ``no security
assistance may be provided to any country the government of
which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of
internationally recognized human rights'': Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That--
(1) it is the sense of the Senate that--
(A) the President should offer public support to Canada by
calling upon the Government of Saudi Arabia to release Samar
Badawi, Nassima al-Sada, Raif Badawi, Waleed Abu al-Khair,
and all other peaceful human rights activists, journalists,
and religious minorities held in detention by that Government
on dubious charges; and
(B) the arrest of women's rights activists and their
supporters since May 2018 is contrary to the stated goals of
the Government of Saudi Arabia; and
(2) the Senate requests, pursuant to section 502B(c)(1) of
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1)),
that the Secretary of State submit to Congress a statement,
as required by that section, setting forth all the available
information about observance of and respect for human rights
and fundamental freedom in Saudi Arabia.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, an unrelenting government crackdown on the
women's rights movement is taking place in Saudi Arabia. This is the
subject of a Senate resolution, of which I am an original cosponsor,
introduced today by Senator Merkley.
It is widely known that Saudi Arabia has a long history of
subjugating and discriminating against women and girls. Today, despite
talk of reform, Saudi authorities continue to arbitrarily arrest and
detail women's rights activists and supporters, including Samar Badawi,
recipient of the 2012 International Women of Courage Award; Nassima al-
Sadah, an Eastern Province activist, and Nouf Abdelaziz, an activist
and writer, among others.
The latest crackdown, which began in May, has resulted in the arrest
of more than a dozen women's rights activists, with many more also
barred from traveling abroad.
Many people erroneously equate the recent lifting of the ban on
female drivers in Saudi Arabia as indicative of increased government
support for women's rights in the country. To the contrary, the
government has arrested some of the same women activists who campaigned
for the right to drive only a short time ago.
We and others often deplore the arbitrary arrests, denial of
fundamental rights and liberties, and execution of prisoners in Iran
for ``crimes'' that would be protected speech under international law;
yet, we see similar abuses in Saudi Arabia and the systematic
persecution of women by Saudi authorities without a commensurate level
of international outcry.
Arbitrary arrests of peaceful activists, regardless of cause or
country, is not acceptable. Freedom of speech and peaceful dissent are
critical underpinnings of human rights activism around the globe and
must be consistently defended. Women's rights are human rights.
I urge all Senators to stand up against attacks of fundamental rights
and liberties, in all countries and for all people, including those
fighting for the rights of women in Saudi Arabia.
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