Saudi Arabia is one of the worlds last absolute monarchies. All decisions are centered in the hands of 89-year-old King Abdullah. There is no parliament. There is little written law, and judges — implementing the countrys strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islam — have broad leeway to impose verdicts and sentences. An attempt to pass a similar counterterrorism law in 2011 was shelved after rights groups in Saudi Arabia and abroad leaked a copy online. Since then, dozens of activists have been detained, a prominent rights organization was shut down, and authorities more aggressively monitor social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, where jokes about the aging monarchy are rife and anger over corruption, poverty and unemployment is palpable. The new law defines terrorism as any criminal act that destabilizes the societys security or the states stability or exposes its national unity to harm. It also states that terrorist acts include disabling the ruling system or offending the nations reputation or its position. Activists said that simply exposing corruption could be seen as a violation of the law. Some also warned that Saudi women who get behind the wheel of a car in violation of the ban on female drivers could be tried under the new anti-terror law. The law also gives the interior minister the power to end sentences and drop charges. It says only the interior minister can order the release of a person on trial. Judges would have no say. Other worrying aspects, activists said, include an article that says police can raid homes and offices on suspicion of anti-government activity without prior approval from a judge or even a superior. Suspects can also be held incommunicado for 90 days, and lawyers are not required to be present during the initial interrogation.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 17:27:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015