Advocacy & Campaigns

ALQST raises individual cases as well as patterns and new trends of human rights violations with various international, regional and national bodies, including the UN human rights system, EU institutions and the British parliament, as well as individual stakeholders such as diplomats and companies doing business with Saudi Arabia. ALQST also conducts global campaigns via social media activity as well as online materials and in-person protests to raise awareness about human rights violations.

Briefings

An Open Field for Violations: Saudi Arabia’s 2034 FIFA World Cup bid

Neom: A human rights and environmental impact assessment

Mohammed al-Qahtani: Human rights defender detained beyond sentence expiry

Abdulrahman al-Sadhan: Humanitarian worker sentenced to 20 years in prison

Salma al-Shehab: Women's rights activist sentenced to 27 years in prison

Girls’ and Women’s ‘Care Institutions’ in Saudi Arabia (Dar al-Re‘aya)

A Soft Touch? Human Rights and the UK-Saudi Relationship

Articles

Advocacy & Campaigns Online hacks and censorship taint UN Internet Governance Forum in Riyadh
Concerns over Saudi Arabia’s suitability to host the 2024 IGF were confirmed, when two panel sessions that broached human rights issues were hacked and the content briefly deleted from the IGF website.
2024-12-23
Advocacy & Campaigns Civil society demands action ahead of Internet Governance Forum
The undersigned NGOs urge the Saudi authorities to release people imprisoned for their online expression and foster transparency and accountability, ahead of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2024.
2024-12-13
Advocacy & Campaigns Award of 2034 men’s World Cup to Saudi Arabia risks lives and exposes FIFA’s empty human rights commitments
Today’s confirmation of Saudi Arabia as host of the 2034 FIFA men’s World Cup, despite the well-known and severe risks to residents, migrant workers and visiting fans alike, marks a moment of great danger.
2024-12-11
Advocacy & Campaigns Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid leaves open direct risk of grave human rights abuses – new briefing paper from ALQST
Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 FIFA men’s World Cup falls far short of the global footballing body’s own minimum human rights standards, and leaves the field wide open to the risk of violations.
2024-12-05
Advocacy & Campaigns NGOs call on Saudi Arabia to improve women’s rights under the scrutiny of the CEDAW Committee
MENA Rights Group, Amnesty International, ALQST for Human Rights and the European-Saudi Organization for Human Rights call on Saudi Arabia to improve women's rights in the country and to abide by the CEDAW.
2024-11-20
Advocacy & Campaigns Neom: the disturbing facts exposed
ALQST publishes in-depth briefing on the human rights and environmental concerns surrounding Saudi megacity project.
2024-11-19
Advocacy & Campaigns FIFA / Saudi Arabia: Human rights groups, football supporters, worker organisations express “deep concern” at global law firm’s flawed World Cup 2034 assessment
A flawed human rights assessment of Saudi Arabia’s FIFA 2034 World Cup bid by AS&H Clifford Chance leaves the global firm at risk of being linked to abuses which result from the tournament.
2024-10-28
Advocacy & Campaigns EU must not ignore gross human rights abuses as Saudi Crown Prince visits Brussels
ALQST for Human Rights condemns the Saudi authorities’ persistent efforts to whitewash their human rights record through high-profile international engagements.
2024-10-16
Advocacy & Campaigns States should refrain from voting for Saudi Arabia in upcoming Human Rights Council elections at the UN General Assembly
Ahead of the 9 October UN Human Rights Council election at the UN General Assembly, we wrote an open letter to urge delegations to refrain from voting for Saudi Arabia.
2024-10-02
Advocacy & Campaigns UN Secretary-General report highlights reprisals against Saudi HRDs: Calls for concerted action
In his latest annual report on reprisals presented on 17 September 2024, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres drew attention to Saudi human rights defenders Loujain al-Hathloul and Mohammed al-Qahtani.
2024-09-27
Advocacy & Campaigns Saudi Arabia must free detainees jailed for their online expression ahead of Internet Governance Forum
40 NGOs call on Saudi Arabia to free all individuals arbitrarily detained solely for their online expression ahead of hosting the 2024 United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh.
2024-09-06
Advocacy & Campaigns Over 30 US lawmakers urge President Biden to press Saudi Arabia for the release of prisoners of conscience
Over 30 US lawmakers have written to US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging them to press immediately for the unconditional release of prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia.
2024-08-08
Advocacy & Campaigns International access will be needed to follow up on mixed Saudi response to UPR recommendations
Saudi Arabia’s contradictory response to its fourth UPR, the outcome of which has now been adopted, casts doubt on the sincerity of its stated intention to improve its dismal human rights record
2024-07-23
Advocacy & Campaigns ALQST delivers joint oral statements during Saudi Arabia’s UPR adoption
On 5 July 2024, during the UN Human Rights Council’s adoption of Saudi Arabia’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), ALQST’s Lina Alhathloul and Celia Le Noe delivered joint oral statements alongside partner NGOs.
2024-07-16
Advocacy & Campaigns 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council: ALQST and partners address dire human rights situation in Saudi Arabia
As the second week of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC)’s 56th session comes to an end, ALQST thanks our partners for our collaboration to bring human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia to the HRC's attention.
2024-06-28
Advocacy & Campaigns Waleed Abu al-Khair to receive Anna Dahlbäck award for 2024
ALQST is delighted that detained Saudi human rights defender Waleed Abu al-Khair has been chosen to receive the Anna Dahlbäck Foundation Memorial Fund bursary for 2024.
2024-06-27