ISSUES
o Index

o torture

o death penalty

o migrant workers

o political prisoners

o military, security and police relations

BRIEFING
End Secrecy End Suffering

COUNTRY INDEX:
o Saudi Arabia

OTHER LANGUAGES:
o French
o Spanish

Migrant workers

"Madam... I ask you in the name of God and humanity... to help me because I have no one who could help me here in Saudi Arabia. My poor family has done everything they could but I believe they have lost hope... I beg you madam to understand my letter... In this prison... we cannot have contact with the outside world, we cannot defend ourselves..."

The woman who wrote this letter is currently held on murder charges and possibly under sentence of death. Like most foreign nationals in Saudi Arabia's jails, she has no one to turn to in the country for support or protection.

Everyone in Saudi Arabia is at risk of human rights violations. However, foreign nationals, particularly those from poorer countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, are especially vulnerable to abuse.

Many migrant workers suffer at the hands of their employers, on whom they are completely dependent. Some are not paid. Some are beaten. Some are raped. If arrested, foreign nationals may be deceived or coerced into signing a confession in Arabic, a language they may not understand. They are frequently tortured and ill-treated. They are more likely than Saudi Arabians to be sentenced to death and the judicial punishments of flogging and amputation.

They are forced to suffer in silence and solitude. They are given no information about the system that will decide their fate and sometimes no clue as to the nature of that fate, even if it is the death penalty. They are usually denied prompt contact with their friends, family or consular officials, and are never allowed legal representation in court. Almost all of them lack the support, influence or money to seek pardon, commutation or reduction of their sentence.

Friends and families suffer too. They are not told what is happening to their loved ones and are usually powerless to help them.

Soleha Anam © Private

Soleha Anam, an Indonesian domestic worker found guilty of murdering her employer, was executed in 1997. Her family tried to get help from the Indonesian Embassy and the labour supply company, but were brushed aside. They only learned of her execution when the press reported it. Her father, a 70-year-old tenant farmer, said:

• Provide details of the legal proceedings against Sit Zainab and guarantees that she will not be sentenced to death.

• Initiate an independent study to look into why the majority of victims of execution and amputation are foreign nationals and to issue recommendations to provide them with better protection against torture and irreversible cruel, inhuman or degrading punishments.

• Ensure that foreign nationals are guaranteed legal counsel and an interpreter immediately after arrest and in court.

• Ensure that families of those arrested are immediately informed of the arrest of their relatives.

• Guarantee that consulate or embassy staff are informed of the detention of their nationals and allowed communication with them.

His Royal Highness Prince Naif bin 'Abdul 'Aziz
Minister of the Interior
Ministry of the Interior
PO Box 2933, Airport Road
Riyadh 11134,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia