DDMA Headline Animator

Monday, October 12, 2009

Saudi awakening, civil rights campaign momentum

A group of Saudi activists have announced the establishment of an association to fight the violation of civil and political rights amid perpetual attempts by the kingdom to stifle such movements.

"The idea is to form a society to defend civil and political rights," AFP quoted Mohammed al-Qahtani, co-founder and a politics professor as saying on Monday.

The veteran activists rushed out the announcement of the Association for Civil and Political Rights as the government was trying to stifle the move by questioning potential signatories, AFP reported Monday.

"They have started interrogating people who might sign this document," Qahtani added.

Eleven activists, including professors and law experts, sent their announcement to Saudi King Abdullah on Sunday night together with a call for the government to complete legislation that would permit the formation of private or non-governmental organizations.

The monarchy prohibits all political parties, unsanctioned private associations and NGOs.

Pro-democracy activists in the kingdom often face arrest and detention without charge or trial, according to activists.

"Depriving people of being able to express peacefully their views will push them to forming secret violent organizations," the group said in a statement.

They said that groups like theirs were necessary in the fight against extremist violence.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=108485§ionid=351020205.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.