HR Commissioner calls on Saudi Arabia to release women activists who have been tortured

SANAA, March 6 (YPA) – The United Nations human rights commissioner Michel Bachelet on Wednesday called on the Saudi regime to release detained women activists who are being tortured in Saudi prisons.

“The persecution of peaceful activists is clearly contrary to the spirit of the new reforms that Saudi Arabia says it is implementing,” Bachelet told the UN Human Rights Council.

UN human rights experts confirmed yesterday that the Al-Saud regime is exploiting anti-terrorism laws to violate freedom of expression and silence opponents of its policies in flagrant violation of international law which guarantees freedom of expression.

Diplomatic sources and activists revealed that the European Union is about to invite the Saudi regime on Thursday to release detained activists and cooperate with a UN-led investigation into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, pointing out that this came at the initiative of Iceland that has received support from Europe and other countries.

Sameera Hassn