KSA Arrested Hundreds of Peaceful Protesters in 2012: HRW

Local Editor

Saudi Arabia arrested hundreds of peaceful protesters during 2012, and sentenced activists from across the country to prison for expressing critical political and religious views, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2013.
"Thousands of people are in arbitrary detention, and human rights activists were put on trial on politicized charges. The Ministry of Interior forbids public protests. Since 2011, security forces have killed at least 14 protesters in the Eastern province who were seeking political reforms," said the report.
"The Saudi government has gone to considerable lengths to punish, intimidate, and harass those who express opinions that deviate from the official line," noted Eric Goldstein, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "These efforts have fueled rather than silenced the growing domestic calls for greater freedoms."
In its 665-page report, Human Rights Watch assessed progress on human rights during the past year in more than 90 countries, including an analysis of the aftermath of the Arab uprisings.

Source: News Agencies