Human Rights Watch in Riyadh: Saudi Arabia studies vast reforms

Human Rights Watch organization said yesterday that Saudi Arabia is studying seriously ways of implementing vast political and social reforms in an attempt for adaptation and to overcome the implications of US September 11 attacks, which provoked strong American accusations against Riyadh, holding it morally responsible for these attacks.

The organization's executive director Hani Majli who is on top of a group of experts in the area of human rights is holding the first visit of its kind to Saudi Arabia said that "Saudi Arabia was criticized before and its answer then was ignoring all wold states.. But this internal discussions took into account that youths have become more informed in that they can have access to the internet and to information through various means." Analysts said that one of the signs of changes was reflected in Saudi Arabia's decision to permit the organization to visit it after years of ignoring this request.

Moreover, western diplomats said that rumors have been sweeping Saudi Arabia on nearby reforms, and this came after a unique initiative announced by the Saudi crown prince earlier this month in which he called for political reforms in the Arab states, including enhancing people's participation in politics.

Majli said that his team met with the Saudi ministers of justice, education, foreign affairs and the attorney general and will also meet the officials in charge of prisons and the leader of the police ( of Amer Belmarouf wal Nahi Aninlmunker). Majli added " we have started the meeting with the ministers and the next step is to meet with other Saudis from the Saudi civil society."

He added he wants to know the reform plans discussed in Saudi Arabia and whether there are measures to have a Shoura council elections, whose numbers are appointed for the time being.

However, Saudi Arabian sources including a member in the Shoura council said that the concept of elections will be gradually reinforced starting as from making municipal elections.

Majli explained that one of the main preoccupation of the organization is to find out means of implementing measures of judicial reforms so as to comply with international norms on human rights.

However, the first investigator of the UN human rights visited Saudi Arabia in 2002 at the invitation of the Saudi government said that Riyadh's inclination to reform its judicial system is blocked by some internal force that resist such change.