Arbitrary arrests of activists…a clear violation of laws

The Kingdom ignores violations of the provisions of laws, treaties, and customs in its detention campaigns against dissidents, activists, and those expressing their opinions.

The security forces carry out numerous arrests without legal justification in light of the ongoing abuses in these campaigns, as well as in dealing with the issue of prisoners of conscience.

The authority violates Articles 36 and 37 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which Article 36 (1) states, “The detainee must be treated in a manner that preserves his dignity, and he may not be harmed physically or morally, and he must be informed of the reasons for his arrest, and he has the right to contact whoever he deems to inform him.”

Article 37 also states, “No person may be detained except in prisons or places of detention designated for that by law.”

These two articles confirm the explicit violation carried out by the state of these two articles through its dealings with many citizens who are imprisoned in official or secret prisons and do not know the reasons behind their detention or the nature of the charges against them.