After a trial spanning more than 560 days that lacked international standards for fair trials and procedures marred with many irregularities, on Wednesday, 15 October 2014, Saudi judiciary sentenced the political dissident Sheikh Nemer Baqir al-Nemer to death. This constitutes a flagrant violation of Article III of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: (Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person).
It comes after the Saudi prosecution charged al-Nemer with dozens of charges, including defending prisoners of conscience and those arbitrarily named in the Ministry of Interior’s list, protesting and having different political views than the Saudi government. These charges are in violation of international laws that considers them legitimate human rights.
As international human rights organizations, we condemn the sentencing of Sheikh Nemer al-Nemer. We believe he was targeted for advocating for human rights and talking publicly about violations, in the course of the deteriorated human rights situation in the KSA which is getting even worse. It has become clear that advocating for human rights is a punishable crime in Saudi Arabia, with the ongoing systematic targeting of human rights defenders, journalists, activists and political opponents.
We call on the Government of the KSA to drop the illegal verdict and all charges against him, which are in violation to freedom of expression and legally guaranteed rights. Also, we hold Saudi responsible of his physical integrity, as there still is a bullet in his left thigh as a result of excessive use of force during his arrest on 8 July 2012 resulting in disability of the leg. We demand launching an investigation into the incident of shooting and torturing him in our commitment to end impunity.
We call on the KSA government as a member in the elected human rights council 2014 – 2016 to adhere to the voluntarily obligations and commitments that it presented to the UN human rights council which is in grave violation of the sentence.
The signatories:
BAHRAIN CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
ALQST Advocating for Human Rights
Dewany
Bahrain Salam for Human Rights
Lualua Centre for Human Rights
Khiam Rehabilitation Center for victims of torture
AMAN NETWORK For Rehabilitation and Defending Human Rights
Gulf Civil Society Associations Forum
European-Bahraini Organization for Human Rights
Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia
Bahrain Forum for Human Rights (BFHR)
The International Center for the Supporting Rights and Freedoms
Bahrain Human Rights Observatory
Yemen Center for Human Rights
AL-KHOEI FOUNDATION
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR)