News - Middle East:   The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) denied Saudi Arabia's claim to cooperate with UN bodies, especially the Human Rights Council. 

The representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Geneva, Abdulaziz Al-Wasel, claimed that his country is continuing to help and support human rights.
 
During the discussion of the annual update of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, under the second item of the work of the 50th session of the Human Rights Council on June 15, 2022, Saudi Arabia referred to the importance of what it described as cooperation and dialogue to ensure the principles of the United Nations.
 
Saudi Arabia's speech comes in light of its continued violation of human rights on a large scale inside of the country, especially in its violation of international laws and covenants it has ratified, most notably the Convention against Torture and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
 
Saudi Arabia's speech before the Council explained that countries are responsible for respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. It also stressed the importance of communication between governments and the High Commissioner, and Al-Wasil welcomed the High Commissioner's visit to countries such as China and Afghanistan.
 
The European Saudi Organization considers that Saudi Arabia's claim to cooperate with UN bodies, especially the Human Rights Council, is unrealistic, as it uses these mechanisms for political promotion without truly improving human rights conditions.
 
In addition to the continuous overlook of the special rapporteurs' requests to visit, including the torture rapporteur and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Saudi Arabia responds to received messages and complaints with misleading and unrealistic information. In addition, it did not heed the repeated demands of UN experts, including calls for a moratorium on death sentences.
 
Source: ESOHR website