Human rights in Saudi Arabia

Human Rights Watch has called on Bulgarian authorities to immediately halt plans to deport Saudi human rights activist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi back to Saudi Arabia. According to the International Human Rights Organization, Al-Khalidi faces serious risks of arbitrary detention, torture, and an unfair trial if sent back.

A Turkish court ruled on April 7 to suspend the trial in absentia of 26 Saudis accused in the gruesome killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and for the case to be transferred to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia on Aug. 2 published new laws that loosen restrictions on women by allowing all citizens — women and men alike — to apply for a passport and travel freely, ending a long-standing guardianship policy that had controlled women's freedom of movement.

Saudi authorities are allowing 85 trucks carrying Turkish goods to enter the kingdom after holding them at the customs border without any justification since July 21.

A new law gives passports to any Saudi over 21 years of age.

Saudi Arabia has allowed women to travel without the need of permission by a spouse or relative. This is yet another solution that weakens the current system of male custody of women, for which the country has been criticized abroad.

Saudi Arabia's ruler has approved hosting U.S. armed forces in the Kingdom, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on July 20.

A UN's human rights expert demanded on March 28 that Saudi Arabia carry out a public trial proceeding for the killing case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Turkish Presidency Communications Director Fahrettin Altun has criticized the head of the Saudi human rights committee for his resistance to an international probe into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Saudi Arabia has asked Canada's ambassador to leave the country within 24 hours, just two days after Canada criticized the arrest of women's rights and other civil society activists in the Arab kingdom.

Saudi Arabia on Monday ordered the Canadian ambassador to leave the ultraconservative kingdom within 24 hours after his nation criticized the recent arrest of women's rights activists.