Saudi Arabia fails to implement UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities decision in cases of Safar Al-Hawali and Salman Al-Awdah

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has stated that Saudi Arabia has not complied with its recommendations regarding the cases of Dr. Safar Al-Hawali and Dr. Salman Al-Awdah.

In its follow-up report, the Committee expressed regret over the absence of any measures taken by the Saudi authorities to implement its previous recommendations, noting a lack of information indicating concrete steps to improve the detainees’ conditions or address the violations identified earlier.

The Committee had previously concluded that the detention of Al-Hawali and Al-Awdah involved multiple violations, including incommunicado detention, denial of adequate healthcare, lack of access to legal assistance, and failure to ensure fair trial guarantees, as well as the absence of reasonable accommodation in light of their health conditions.

The Committee also emphasized that Saudi Arabia is obligated to review their cases to ensure fair and public trials in line with international standards or to release them, provide access to healthcare, investigate violations, and ensure accountability and compensation.

Despite these obligations, the Committee noted that the information provided by Saudi Arabia did not demonstrate any concrete implementation of its recommendations, and therefore decided to discontinue the follow-up procedure, classifying the case as category “C”, indicating non-compliance.

This classification reflects a failure to implement UN recommendations and signals serious concern regarding Saudi Arabia’s adherence to its international human rights obligations.

For its part, SANAD Human Rights Organization stressed that the continued detention of Al-Hawali and Al-Awdah under these conditions, despite clear UN decisions, reflects a pattern of impunity and raises serious concerns about their physical and psychological well-being.

The organization called for their immediate and unconditional release, ensuring access to independent and urgent medical care, and guaranteeing all their legal rights.

It also urged the international community to take firm action and apply real pressure on Saudi authorities to comply with UN decisions and put an end to ongoing violations against detainees, particularly the elderly and persons with disabilities.