Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: A French national victim of enforced disappearance

On 16 June 2024, Mr Amr Abdelfattah, a French engineer and father of three, was arrested on the esplanade of the Grand Mosque in Mecca during a check related to his pilgrimage permit. After a tense exchange with the police officer conducting the check, whose behaviour was particularly aggressive towards Mr Abdelfattah, he was taken to the Haram police station.

13 Jan 2026

Saudi Arabia: Al Jalladi, a Yemeni detainee, reaches out to his family after about a year and a half of silence

The family of the Yemeni detainee in Saudi Arabia, Bassam Shukri Al Jalladi, has finally been able to receive a phone call from him after an interruption lasting nearly a year and a half, thanks to the efforts made by his relatives with the administration of Qassim prison, where he is incarcerated.

04 Jan 2026

Libya and Saudi Arabia: Alkarama denounces the authorities’ persistent inaction in response to WGAD opinions

In a follow-up report addressed to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), Alkarama denounced the persistent inaction of Libya and Saudi Arabia regarding the implementation of opinions issued between 2023 and 2025 concerning several cases of arbitrary detention.

14 Oct 2025

Our concerns

Systematic practice of torture and arbitrary detention, including prolonged detention devoid of any legal basis;
Abusive counter-terrorism measures and unfair trials before the Specialised Criminal Court, often resulting in the death penalty ;
Severe repression of freedom of expression through arrests and arbitrary detention of peaceful dissidents, including human rights defenders;
Severe violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Yemen.

Human Rights Instruments

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

ICCPR Ratified ?

✖

Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (UNCAT)

UNCAT Ratified ?

✔

UNCAT Ratification Date

23 Sep 1997

OPCAT (National Preventive Mechanism) Ratified ?

✖

National Preventive Mechanism (OPCAT) created ?

✖

Date of last Concluding Observations by Committee against Torture (CAT)

25 May 2016

Click here for the last Concluding Observations

Next CAT State Report Due

13 May 2020

OVERDUE - State party did not submit report on time

International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED)

ICPPED Ratified ?

✖

Human Rights Council

Date last Universal Period Review (UPR)

05 Nov 2018

UPR Next Review

22 Jan 2024

Click here for the last UPR documents

Membership of Human Rights Council:

2006-2012, 2014-2019

National Human Rights Institution

National Society for Human Rights

Accreditation with the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI)

None

Latest Reports

SAUDI ARABIA : Report "2034 WORLD CUP BID FIFA and partners fail to meet human rights due diligence obligations"

08 Nov 2024

On 30 October 2024, Alkarama submitted an urgent complaint to the Working Group on Business and Human Rights copying other concerned mandate holders regarding FIFA’s expedited bidding process for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

Saudi Arabia

Thematic