UN Rapporteur Urges Saudi Arabia to Release Human Rights Defenders on Eid al-Fitr

UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawlor has urged Saudi authorities to issue an amnesty on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr and release detained human rights defenders.

In a post on platform X, Lawlor said:
“I urge the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and others to grant an Eid al-Fitr amnesty and release detained human rights defenders, in line with Islam’s values of mercy and compassion.”

The call comes amid the continued detention of hundreds of citizens and residents in Saudi Arabia over opinions or tweets related to freedom of expression.

SANAD Human Rights Organization has repeatedly called on Saudi authorities to release all prisoners of conscience unconditionally, stressing that their continued detention contradicts human rights principles and relevant international obligations. Despite these repeated calls, Saudi authorities have yet to respond to appeals from SANAD, other human rights organizations, and international bodies, including UN mechanisms.