Human rights watchdog team to visit Saudi Arabia

Riyadh: A delegation from a human rights watchdog is to pay a visit to Saudi Arabia later this month to take stock of the human rights situation in the kingdom.

A Human Rights Watch team will hold talks with senior Saudi officials, including a number of ministers on November 27.

The delegation members will also hold talks with National Human Rights Society and Saudi Human Rights Commission officials. The talks will focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation between the organisations.

The Human Rights Watch delegation is set to visit a number of Saudi courts and jails to gain first-hand information about the legal and judicial procedures prevailing in the country as well as the situation of the accused and detainees.

The Saudi government has introduced several reforms pertaining to the judiciary and jails in recent years. It has also brought about legislation aimed at improving the human rights situation in the kingdom. The Human Rights Watch is an independent human rights organisation based in the United States and is not affiliated to any government bodies.

Meanwhile, Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defence for Military Affairs, told reporters here yesterday that his recent visit to the United States was nothing to do with the military exercises held separately by the US-led coalition forces and the Iranian forces in the Gulf waters.