Dozens of prominent activists have been held for months in Saudi Arabia without charge — and the spotlight on the Kingdom’s human rights record is stronger than ever

• Saudi Arabia’s human rights record has come under intense scrutiny in recent months. 
• Earlier this year, the country detained dozens of prominent women’s rights activists — most without access to communication and many who were never formally charged with a crime. 
• Award-winning campaigner Samar Badawi was arrested in August, which sparked a massive feud between Riyadh and Ottawa over the Kingdom’s human rights record. 
• In October, journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents, possibly at the order of the Saudi crown prince, which thrust the country’s human rights violations back into the spotlight. 
• In November, testimonies from detained human rights activists emerged detailing torture, interrogation, and sexual abuse at the hands of Saudi authorities in prison. 

Saudi Arabia’s human rights record has come under intense scrutiny in recent months — even before the murder of Jamal Khashoggi made international headlines.

Earlier this year, the country detained dozens of prominent women’s rights activists — many without formal charge or access to communication — most of whom still remain in custody.

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• Trump administration’s reported effort to ‘barter’ a US resident to convince Turkey to ramp down Khashoggi probe stuns foreign-policy veterans
• Crown Prince Mohammed comes out on top of Khashoggi case that could see 5 others killed

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