In June of 2025, Saudi Arabia announced its decision to abolish the Kafala system. This announcement forms part of the Saudi Vision 2030 Initiative, and claims to replace the previous sponsorship framework with a contractual employment model, better reflecting modern labour standards. If implemented appropriately, this decision would represent a significant development in human rights[…]
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Oct
In 2005, in order to monitor human rights in Saudi Arabia, a royal decree established the creation of a Human Rights Commission. Presented as an independent body, its task was to hold the country’s government accountable. Twenty years after its creation, however, it can be said with certainty that this body does not serve the[…]
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Oct
Oct
Introduction The repression of human rights activists and political dissidents is one of the biggest problems in the Gulf states. There are constant reports of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture in prisons and other incidents targeting these groups. Those who want to fight to assert their rights or criticise regimes that stifle them always find[…]
05
Sep
Sep
On 21 August 2025, a new name was added to Saudi Arabia’s alarming and ever-growing list of executions: Jalal Labbad, a young man put to death for alleged crimes committed as a child. His supposed offense was participating as a teenager in the 2011 and 2012 Al-Qatif protests against the systemic discrimination faced by the[…]
03
Sep
Sep
By executing minor Jalal Labad on August 21, 2025, Saudi Arabia has once again exposed its systematic use of capital punishment to silence dissent and eliminate perceived opposition. The killing of Jalal, who was only 17 at the time of his arrest, marks a devastating escalation in the Kingdom’s campaign of repression. According to the[…]
