British Lawmakers Claim Top Saudi Officials May Bear Responsibility for Activists’ Torture, Reports Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) – On Monday, three British lawmakers expressed their support for reports alleging that women activists detained in Saudi Arabia have been subjected to torture. They stated that the responsibility for these likely violations of international law may lie with high-ranking Saudi authorities.

The findings reflect a growing concern among Western allies regarding reported human rights abuses under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is already under scrutiny for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year.

A UN investigator is currently leading an international inquiry into Khashoggi’s murder, which has negatively impacted the crown prince’s reputation in the West, despite his earlier recognition for efforts to relax social restrictions and reduce the kingdom’s reliance on oil revenues.

These reforms have coincided with a crackdown on dissent, including the arrest of over a dozen activists advocating for women’s rights, which began last May. Many of these activists campaigned for the right to drive and sought an end to the male guardianship system.

Amnesty International recently reported documenting ten cases of torture and mistreatment—such as sexual harassment, electrocution, flogging, and death threats—while the activists were held in an undisclosed location last summer.

Previously reported details indicated that an aide to Prince Mohammed, who was dismissed in connection with the Khashoggi murder, personally oversaw the torture of at least one of the detained women months prior.

Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy where public protests and political parties are banned, claims it does not have political prisoners and denies allegations of torture, asserting that monitoring activists is necessary for social stability.

Nonetheless, British lawmakers Crispin Blunt, Layla Moran, and Paul Williams deemed the testimonies from international human rights organizations and the media as credible, describing the treatment of the detainees as “cruel, inhuman and degrading”.

The lawmakers, who established a review panel with noted legal experts, argued that Saudi authorities violated international law by holding detainees incommunicado and denying them legal counsel. They emphasized that culpability could extend to those at the highest levels of government.

“The Saudi authorities at the highest levels could, in principle, be responsible for the crime of torture,” stated their final report.

The Saudi government communications office has not responded to requests for comments regarding the report.

Some women activists have faced accusations in Saudi media of affiliations with the banned Muslim Brotherhood and support for Qatar, which is currently engaged in a dispute with Riyadh.

The British lawmakers urged Saudi authorities to release the activists immediately, reconsider the allegations against them, and hold accountable those responsible for their mistreatment.

They noted that their requests to visit the detainees have gone unanswered.

“The treatment of Saudi women’s rights activists has warranted an international investigation into allegations of torture,” asserted Blunt, a member of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party.

He added, “Saudi Arabia is at a critical juncture. It is not too late to change course and prevent the potential disaster represented by the detention of these activists.”