June- Newsletter 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n Egypt and Saudi Arabia are continuing their increasingly violent and arbitrary crackdown against women human rights defender. Saudi authorities continue to hold prominent women human rights defenders incommunicado without access to lawyers or relatives as the world celebrates lifting the ban on\u00a0Saudi\u00a0women drivers and Egyptian authorities continue to detain women human right defender Amal Fathy, and continues to summon WHRDs for investigation.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Since 15 May 2018, Saudi authorities arrested at least 7 women human rights defenders whose work was prominently focused on reclaiming women\u2019s right to drive, just few weeks before lifting the long-standing ban on women.\u00a0 State media outlets have publicly declared seven women\u2019s rights defenders and supporters of the women\u2019s rights movement as traitors, including\u00a0Loujain Al-Hathloul<\/a>, a well-known WHRD on social media who was arrested on\u00a015 May<\/span>; Dr.\u00a0Eman Al-Nafjan<\/a>, founder and author of the\u00a0Saudiwoman’s Weblog<\/a>, who had previously protested the driving ban;\u00a0Aziza Al-Yousef<\/a>, a prominent campaigner for women\u2019s rights. In addition, Saudi authorities also arrested WHRDs Nouf AbdelAziz and Mayaa Al Zahrani.<\/p>\n We at the Regional Coalition of Women Human Rights Defenders in the Middle East and North Africa are in solidarity with women human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n We also call on the Saudi authorities, and immediately:<\/p>\n \u2013 Release all women human rights defenders and ensure their physical and psychological integrity and pledge not to harass them in any way<\/p>\n \u2013 Disclose the details of the investigation, including the grounds on which charges were brought against women human rights defenders<\/p>\n \u2013 Stop pursuing women human rights defenders and recognize their fundamental role in Saudi society, including their success in reclaiming women\u2019s right to drive<\/p>\n The Coalition also demands the:<\/p>\n -The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (UN) suspends Saudi Arabia\u2019s membership in the UN\u2019s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The arrests and prosecution of WHRDs makes it clear that Saudi Arabia has no place in the Commission and that its seat does not comply with the oppression of women and WHRDs.<\/p>\n -The UN\u2019s General Assembly (GA) to suspend Saudi Arabia\u2019s membership in the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). A two-thirds majority of the GA may suspend the membership rights of any HRC member engaged in \u201cgross and systematic violations of human rights.\u201d Detaining WHRDs, accusing them of serious charges without any legal basis and stripping them from their basic human rights in detention\u2013are gross and systematic violations of human rights.<\/p>\n TAKE ACTION NOW!<\/p>\n We ask all supporters to please write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet using the hashtag\u00a0#ReleaseSaudiWHRDs\u00a0urging the Saudi authorities to act on the above recommendations.<\/p>\n Contact the following officials:<\/p>\n King and Prime Minister Ambassador\u00a0Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Egyptian authorities continue to detain women human right defender Amal Fathy, who called out the Egyptian government for failing to protect women.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/whrdmena.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ENLonglive-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSaudi Arabia<\/h2>\n
\nHis Majesty King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
\nThe Custodian of the two Holy Mosques
\nOffice of His Majesty the King
\nRoyal Court, Riyadh
\nKingdom of Saudi Arabia
\nFax: (via Ministry of Interior)
\n+966 11 403 3125 (please keep trying)
\nTwitter:\u00a0@KingSalman<\/a><\/p>\n
\nRoyal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
\n601 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington DC 20037<\/a>
\nPhone: (202) 342-3800 I Fax: 202 295 3625
\nEmail:\u00a0info@saudiembassy.net<\/a>
\nContact Form:\u00a0https:\/\/www.saudiembassy.net\/contact<\/a>
\nTwitter:\u00a0@SaudiEmbassyUSA<\/a><\/p>\nEgypt:<\/h2>\n