The arbitrary dismissal of Activists and Lawyers from their employment

The Saudi authorities were not satisfied with the physical and psychological harm they inflicted on activists and human rights defenders, which included spying on them, pursuing them, intimidating them, terrorising them, imprisoning and arresting them. Some of the activists suffered other types of abuse, which was their arbitrary dismissal from their jobs without any legal issue or organisational reason. In fact, the encroachment on them went so far as to halt pension payments from a number of those who retired long ago.

Such transgression, oppression and harassment of people in their livelihood and infringement of their rights are some of the crude methods used by the regime to pressurise activists and human rights defenders to stop talking or opposing the regime. In addition to the miserable economic situation that the country is experiencing, the poor living situation, the low per capita income and the increase in unemployment, the authority uses these methods to deprive the activist and his family of their basic rights, as well as their salaries they receive in return for their work. This makes the activist and his family in a state of poverty and need. The impact is not limited to the individual person, but extends to his family, children, and perhaps his parents if he supports them.

If there were independent and impartial judicial authorities, it would have been possible to make claims from them for these rights. However, the corruption and brutality of the government reflects on everything, making such violations pass without accountability. This harms people whose only ‘crime’ is their engagement in human rights activities, and the impact of this extends to their families.