First Saudi Arabian Human Rights Association Established

The first human rights Non-Governmental Organization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is established.

King Fahd bin Abd al-Aziz has approved the establishment of the National Human Rights Association.

CSW welcomed this news and hopes the National Human Rights Association will be effective in spearheading the promotion and protection of human rights.

Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of CSW, said: "We welcome the establishment of this human rights association as a step towards a greater respect for human rights in the Kingdom. We hope this will open the way for further measures to safeguard the rights of all its citizens."

CSW calls upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to pave the way for the respect of the rights of all its citizens, by acceding to and ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights.

In addition, CSW continues to call on the Kingdom to safeguard the freedom of all people resident in the Kingdom to worship according to their religion in the privacy of their own homes, as publicly guaranteed by senior Saudi officials.