Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, CDHR, Washington DC

August 21, 2018

CDHR’s Analysis and Commentaries

Dead Yemeni Children: the Price of Saudi/Iranian Imperialisms

CDHR Commentary: According to the UN, International Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and other human rights groups’ eyewitness testimonies, investigations and reports, more than 500 thousand Yemeni children have died from the Saudi-led Coalition’s airstrikes, starvation and endemic diseases. The widely publicized killing of 40 school children on August 9, 2018, by the Saudi-led Coalition airstrike was justified as legal. The spokesman for the Coalition, Colonel Turki AlMalki “stated that the targeting today in Sa’dah (the Houthis’ region) Governorate is a legitimate military action, conducted in conformity with the International Humanitarian Law and its Customary Rules.” He continued to say that the airstrike was aimed at the Iranian-supported Houthi rebels, with whom the Saudi-led Coalition has been engaged in a destructive three-year war that is pulverizing most of Yemen’s antiquated infrastructure and starving most of its 26 million defenseless people.  Read full analysis: www.cdhr.info

Saudis’ Self-defeating Reaction

CDHR Commentary: In reaction to the Trudeau Administration’s courageously expressed concerns about the Saudi regime’s continued policies of arbitrary arrest, incarceration and, in some cases, barbaric torture of peaceful human rights advocates, the Saudi rulers expelled the Canadian Ambassador and froze trade with Canada on August 5th, 2018. The Saudi rulers’ overreaction is indicative of their vulnerability and nervousness over being exposed for what has amply been documented: they are violators of basic human rights. As the New York Times Editorial Board unabashedly stated, “Faced with criticism from Canada over the treatment of two prominent human rights activists, Saudi rulers on Monday did the kind of thing that backward, insecure despots often do — they lashed out and penalized their critics.” Read full analysis: www.cdhr.info 

Prince Mohammed’s Clampdown on Enlightened Women Intensifies  

CDHR Commentary: Arresting two more prominent pioneers of peaceful pro-freedom-of-expression and women’s rights activists, Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah at the end of July 2018, should not have come as a surprise. Crown Prince Mohammed has zero tolerance for advocates of anything he deems a repudiation of his plans to “transform Saudi Arabia” as he sees fit and knows won’t be rebuked by Western powers, especially the Trump Administration. This is due to his ability to buy Western loyalty as he cunningly achieved during his extended tour of Europe and the US in March and April 2018. Read full analysis: www.cdhr.info

Justice and Freedom-Seeking-Saudi Women Deserve Global Support

CDHR Commentary: Liberal leaning Saudi women are in the forefront of the fight against social injustice, extremism and misogynistic policies. However, as this article explains, Saudi women do not have to be activists to be supported. Saudi women like this appreciative admirer of a prominent musician/singer can be subjugated expressing her appreciation publicly. Under Crown Prince Mohammed, (60 Minutes’ exalted “women liberator”) and his predecessors, there is only one directive: arrest anyone who thinks out of the box or acts in a manner deemed noncompliant with the ruler’s wishes and/or permission. Read full analysis: www.cdhr.info

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