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

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 Ten years after his arbitrary arrest, NGOs call for Saudi human rights defender Waleed Abu al-Khair to be released
Monday, 15 April 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the arrest of Saudi human rights defender Waleed Abu al-Khair, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence as a result of his peaceful human rights activism.
2024-04-15
Advocacy & Campaigns Saudi Arabia unfit for its new role as chair of UN gender equality body
ALQST for Human Rights believes that Saudi Arabia is unfit to take up its recent appointment as chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, the United Nations’ main forum for promoting gender equality.
2024-04-09
Advocacy & Campaigns New assault on freedom of expression, thought and belief as Saudi authorities put football fans on trial for chants
ALQST and partners release statement on members of Al Safa FC’s supporters association, due to appear in court for charges in relation to religious folklore chants during a football match on 24 January 2024.
2024-03-27
Advocacy & Campaigns University of Leeds community urges Vice-Chancellor to call for release of Saudi PhD student Salma al-Shehab
Three hundred and forty academics, students and employees at the University of Leeds have signed a letter calling on its leaders to take a stronger stand in support of PhD student Salma al-Shehab.
2024-03-26
Advocacy & Campaigns ALQST and partners deliver oral statement addressing the Saudi authorities’ systematic abuses at HRC55
ALQST and partners deliver a joint oral statement at HRC55, addressing Saudi Arabia's deteriorating human rights situation.
2024-03-18
Advocacy & Campaigns Bulgaria should not deport Saudi activist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi and should immediately release him
We, the undersigned organisations, are deeply concerned about the case of Saudi activist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi, who is currently detained in Bulgaria and at risk of imminent deportation to Saudi Arabia.
2024-03-12
Advocacy & Campaigns IWD 2024: CSOs renew their call on Saudi authorities to release jailed women’s rights activists
On International Women's Day 2024, ALQST, MENA Rights Group and a coalition of NGO partners call on the Saudi authorities to release women human rights defenders, women’s rights activists and their supporters.
2024-03-08
Advocacy & Campaigns ALQST and Global Citizen launch campaign for Saudi authorities to implement UPR recommendations
ALQST and Global Citizen launch a new campaign to maximise public pressure on Saudi Arabia’s leaders to accept and implement important human rights recommendations made during Saudi Arabia's UPR.
2024-02-15
Advocacy & Campaigns #UPR45: States call on Saudi Arabia to implement pressing human rights reforms
On 22 January 2024, during Saudi Arabia’s fourth UPR, UN Human Rights Council member states issued a long list of recommendations to address widespread and systematic rights violations in the kingdom
2024-01-26
Advocacy & Campaigns Birthday in jail: Saudi Wikipedian Osama Khalid Remains Unjustly Imprisoned on his 30th Birthday
On 19 January 2024, a shadow hangs over the 30th birthday of Osama Khalid, a Saudi pediatrician, blogger, and prominent Wikipedian.
2024-01-19
Advocacy & Campaigns Historic opportunity for UN member states to call Saudi Arabia out on insufficient rights reforms
A coalition of human rights NGOs including ALQST has drawn up a list of key recommendations in preparation for the fourth cycle of the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Saudi Arabia in 2024.
2023-12-21
Advocacy & Campaigns Saudi Human Rights Commission a mere whitewashing tool, say NGOs
Prior to the third EU-Saudi Arabia human rights dialogue, MENA Rights Group, ALQST for Human Rights and ESOHR urge the EU to reconsider its interlocutory, the Saudi Human Rights Commission.
2023-11-27
Advocacy & Campaigns More than 70 NGOs call for Saudi Arabia not to host 2024 Internet Governance Forum
ALQST and more than 70 digital and human rights organisations wrote to the United Nations Secretary General, urging him to reverse the decision to allow Saudi Arabia to host the next IGF annual meeting
2023-11-17
Advocacy & Campaigns Diaspora activists call on Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission to help end illegal travel bans on their families
A group of Saudi nationals living abroad, including ALQST’s Lina Alhathloul, have written to the Saudi HRC, seeking the lifting of travel bans currently being applied to their relatives in Saudi Arabia.
2023-11-07
Advocacy & Campaigns Saudi human rights defender Mohammed al-Qahtani still disappeared after one year
We, the undersigned organisations, reiterate our call on Saudi Arabia’s authorities to disclose the whereabouts of detained Saudi human rights defender Mohammed al-Qahtani and allow him contact with his family.
2023-10-24
Advocacy & Campaigns UN member states highlight human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia
During the 54th regular session of the Human Rights Council several states once again drew attention to ongoing human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia.
2023-10-18