February 14, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 29 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages S1388-S1389]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 73--CALLING ON THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA TO 
  IMMEDIATELY RELEASE SAUDI WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS AND RESPECT THE 
                FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF ALL SAUDI CITIZENS

  Mr. RUBIO (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Moran, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Sasse, 
Mr. Kaine, Ms. Collins, Mr. Coons, Mr. Booker, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Murphy, 
Mrs. Shaheen, and Mr. Markey) submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                               S. Res. 73

       Whereas the United States Government and the Government of 
     Saudi Arabia share an important security partnership;
       Whereas Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said during 
     an April 2018 interview with The Atlantic magazine, ``I 
     support women . . . In our religion there is no difference 
     between men and women . . . We don't want divided treatment 
     for different people'';
       Whereas Saudi authorities, since Mohammed bin Salman became 
     Crown Prince, have relaxed some repressive restrictions on 
     women, including by allowing women to drive, attend certain 
     sporting events, and enter some professions which were 
     previously closed to them;
       Whereas, in May 2018, Saudi authorities began arresting 
     women's rights activists and their supporters, including 
     those who had campaigned for the right to drive ahead of the 
     government's announcement granting women the right to drive 
     effective June 24, 2018;
       Whereas those detained included--
       (1) Samar Badawi, who petitioned Saudi authorities to allow 
     women the right to drive, vote, and run in municipal 
     elections;
       (2) Nouf Abdelaziz, who expressed solidarity with arrested 
     women's rights activists;
       (3) Mayaa al-Zahrani, an activist and friend of Abdelaziz;
       (4) Nassima al-Sadah, who campaigned for the right to drive 
     and against the government's male guardianship laws;
       (5) Hatoon al-Fassi, a professor of women's history who was 
     one of the first Saudi women to acquire a driver's license; 
     and
       (6) Loujain al-Hathloul who spent 73 days in detention for 
     defying the driving ban in 2014-15;
       Whereas one of the detained women, Aziza al-Youssef, is a 
     United States permanent resident who maintains a residence in 
     Virginia;
       Whereas Saudi authorities, on June 2, 2018, announced that 
     they would provisionally release eight individuals and refer 
     nine individuals to trial, where they could face the 
     following serious charges that carry penalties of up to 20 
     years in prison ``cooperating with entities hostile to the 
     kingdom,'' ``recruiting persons in a sensitive government 
     agency to obtain confidential information to harm the 
     interests of the kingdom,'' and ``providing financial and 
     moral support to hostile elements abroad'';
       Whereas, in 2012, Samar Badawi, one of the activists 
     detained by the Saudi authorities, received the International 
     Women of Courage Award from the United States Department of 
     State;
       Whereas Samar Badawi's brother, Raif Badawi, has remained 
     imprisoned in Saudi Arabia since 2012 and was publically 
     flogged for his work calling for free speech on his website 
     ``Free Saudi Liberals'' and his lawyer, Waleed Abu al-Khair, 
     is serving a 15-year sentence for his work defending human 
     rights;
       Whereas, according to a 2018 Human Rights Watch report, 
     ``Saudi interrogators tortured at least three of the Saudi 
     women activists' detained beginning in May 2018'';
       Whereas the reports of torture include electric shocks, 
     whippings, beatings, and sexual harassment and assault;
       Whereas, according to news reports, a top adviser of Crown 
     Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saud al-Qahtani, has been present 
     during interrogation sessions with the women's rights 
     activists;
       Whereas, on January 16, 2019, more than 200 academics from 
     around the world sent a letter to the Saudi King calling on 
     the Government of Saudi Arabia to release ``Dr Hatoon Aiwad-
     al-Fassi and other women's rights advocates who remain in 
     detention'';
       Whereas the United States Senate resolved on International 
     Women's Day on March 8, 2018, that the empowerment of women 
     is inextricably linked to the potential of a country to 
     generate economic growth, sustainable democracy, and 
     inclusive security;
       Whereas the Department of State's 2017 report on human 
     rights practices in Saudi Arabia stated that the Government 
     of Saudi Arabia's review of guardianship laws had not yet 
     been completed, that the Government of Saudi Arabia restricts 
     the foreign travel of women, and that the Government of Saudi 
     Arabia continues to discriminate against women;
       Whereas the arrests of women's rights activists and their 
     supporters since May 2018 are contrary to the Government of 
     Saudi Arabia's stated reform goals; and
       Whereas the detention and reported abuse of women's rights 
     activists and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington 
     Post journalist and United States resident, demonstrate a 
     blatant disregard for human rights and the freedom of 
     expression: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) calls on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to immediately 
     release and drop any politically motivated charges against 
     the detained Saudi women's rights activists related to 
     peaceful activities to advance human rights in Saudi Arabia, 
     which are protected under international law;
       (2) expresses concern over the reported use of torture by 
     the Government of Saudi Arabia against the women's activists, 
     and urges investigation into such allegations and the holding 
     accountable of perpetrators;
       (3) recognizes that the strategic relationship with Saudi 
     Arabia is in the national interest of the United States;
       (4) reaffirms that the global recognition and protection of 
     basic human rights, including women's rights, is in the 
     national security interest of the United States;
       (5) urges the Government of Saudi Arabia to reform its laws 
     that restrict basic human rights, including women's rights, 
     such as by abolishing the male guardianship system;
       (6) urges the President and the Secretary of State to 
     affirm the support of the United States for the right of 
     activists to peacefully advocate for the protection of 
     universal human rights;
       (7) calls on the President to press the Government of Saudi 
     Arabia to immediately release all political prisoners, human 
     rights defenders, journalists, and bloggers, including Raif 
     Badawi, Waleed Abu al-Khair, and others who support religious 
     freedom, and the women's rights activists detained after May 
     2018; and
       (8) calls on the President to comply with the request 
     submitted under subsection (d) of section 1263 of the Global 
     Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of 
     title XII of Public Law 114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2656

[[Page S1389]]

     note) for a determination under subsection (a) of that 
     section with respect to the persons responsible for the 
     murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

                          ____________________