Security force missions
violations in Saudi Arabia, four dead outcomes of the Law for Terrorism Crimes
and
Financing of Terrorism
A report on the mission which took place in Awamia on Thursday,
20/02/2014
By European Saudi Society for Human Rights (ESSHR)
22/02/2014
Within the continuous security force presence in the province of Qatif in Saudi Arabia, the security armored vehicles- roughly fourteen vehicles according to an eyewitness- raid an old and heritage neighborhood in the province of Qatif, Awamia, called (inside Al-Deira) on Thursday morning, 20/02/2014. During this mission, two citizens were killed, Hussein Ali Al-Faraj 34 years old and Ali Ahmad Al-Faraj 22 years old. In Addition, according to the statement by the Saudi Interior Ministry, two policemen were killed as well and wounding two others: (the exchange of fire resulted in the death of Sergeant Naif bin Mohammed Khabrani and Agent Sergeant Dlaij Hadi Majrashi he rest in peace and we accept them martyrs, also two security men were injured and rushed to hospital for treatment)[1]. Also, a third security man might die of his wounds, but officials have not confirmed it until the release of this report.
This latest raid comes after
seven previous raids carried out by Saudi security forces in the province of
Qatif. The Gulf Civil Society
Associations Forum (GCSAF) addressed this issue in a special report entitled
(Awamia in three years), a number of similar raids:
(First: On 27/02/2012, a
raid on the wanted Fadel Al-Safwani’s house (still chased) and the martyr Morsi
Al-Rebh, was killed by Saudi security forces on 22/06/2014.
Second: On 07/29/2013, a
raid on Al-Mozara’s family house which resulted in the capture of Abbas Al-Mozara,
in the 23 wanted list issued by the Saudi Interior Ministry.
Third: On 05/09/2013, a raid
on Al-Lubad’s family home, intended to arrest Mohammed Al-Lubad (still chased),
in the 23 wanted list issued by Saudi Interior. Also, this raid resulted in the
killing of Ahmed Al-Mslab, the martyr No. 18 killed Saudi security forces. Fourth:
On 01/16/2014, a raid on Jafar Al-Mpioq’s house, intended to arrest his son
Musa who is wanted. During this raid, a small bomb was thrown at the main door
to break into the house)[2].
Also added to these raids:
On 09/26/2012,
a raid to capture Khaled Abdulkarim Al-Lubad, where he was killed and
two other citizens, Hassan Mohamed Zahri (28 years old) and Mohamed Habib
Al-Manasif, all were killed by live ammunition in front of Al-Lubad’s house, also,
other people who were at the site of the raid got arrested.
On 06/22/2013, a raid on a
celebration site (a popular religious occasion) that resulted in killing Mursi
Ali Al- Rebh, on the 23 list, who was working on the site preparing with others
for the occasion.
On 6/2/2014, a raid on
Al-Qudaihi and Al-Sayegh houses in Tarot city, which resulted in the arrest of
Ali Jassim Al-Qudaihi and Mahdi Al-Sayegh 22 years.
Therefore, there have been 8
raids mission during the 3 years that resulted in killing 7 citizens kilsled by
security forces live ammunition, number of injured and property damage,
bringing the total up to 20 dead victims of the Saudi security forces.
Law for
Terrorism Crimes and Financing of Terrorism:
Rising concerns in the European
Saudi Society for Human Rights about the deterioration of the human rights
condition and the legal justifications, to illustrate, the (Law for Terrorism
Crimes and Financing of Terrorism) not only violates freedom of speech and
expression but also legalize practices that are inconsistent with a number of
international treaties that Saudi Arabia have joined. This concern was also
expressed by a number of human rights organizations since the leaked draft on
July 2011, and even after its official publication in January 2014[3].
In this controversial law,
Article 16, which states: (Minister of the Interior - or whoever authorized –
is permitted to enter houses and offices for inspection and arrest in any
charge related to this law at any time during the specified period in the
warrant, and if necessary, it is not required to obtain permission to do, as
long as the case is codified and reasons of urgency is clarified). This means
that the raids - as such - are legally justified, which means continuous
tension and potentially more victims.
On the other hand, this law
did not support the progress that has been made by the Law of Criminal
Procedure. For example, Article 16 of the Law for Terrorism Crimes and
Financing of Terrorism is incompatible with a number of articles of the Law of
Criminal Procedure as (inspection of people and housing) began in Article 40 to
Article 54[4],
where it emphasis a number of legal procedures, including:
(The privacy of a dwelling -
a cause issued by the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution - A dwelling
shall be searched in the presence of its owner or his representative or any
adult member of his family residing with him. If no such person is present, the
search shall be conducted in the presence of the Umda (Chief) of the quarter or
any comparable officer or two witnesses. The owner of the dwelling or his
representative may peruse the search warrant and a note to that effect shall be
entered into the record. The search record shall include the following, the
text of the search warrant or an explanation of the urgency that necessitated
the search without a warrant- If there is no person other than an accused woman
in the dwelling to be searched, the officers carrying out the search shall be
accompanied by a woman).
The intruded
house and the dead:
After security forces
blockaded the entrances of the raided site, approximately 35 to 40 soldiers
spread out - according to any eyewitnesses- some got off for a short distance
and dropped off a bomb at the Mohammed Abdul Rahim Al-Faraj brother’s door
house, who wasn’t home at the moment[5],
and in the 23 wanted list[6],
causing to kill Ali Ahmad Al-Faraj son of the owner of the house. The other
person, Hussein Ali Al-Faraj, who has been known as: (a local journalist, known
for documenting demonstrations and protests that took place in the region over
the past three years)[7],
he was actively located in peaceful demonstrations and in the funerals of 18
people who were killed by security forces in different times since the start of
peaceful protests in 17/02/2011. Hussein Ali Al-Faraj was killed after a bullet
lodged in the back of his head while he was heading to the site of the raid
carrying on his neck his camera to document the raid.
Damage of the
raid:
Additional to 4 people dead,
there are lost property and damages in the house, necessitating rehabilitation to
become livable again. The death of Ali Al-Faraj has caused deep psychological
effects on his family where his mother is only left with his little brother,
his father died several years ago. There was nothing that won’t terrify his
mother during the raid, where she was then with two children of her relatives,
the security forces crossed the line of social and religious norms in Saudi
Arabia by the entering strange men on a woman by herself in her house.
Violations of
Law:
The media photographer
Hussein Ali Al-Faraj did not know that he was wanted for security at any point.
The fourth section of the Law of Criminal Procedure, entitled (investigation
procedures) in chapter VII (Summons and Arrest and Appearance) describes in 9
materials to be found in Article 103 to Article 111, the followed statutory
procedures in cases of demand.
As in Article 105 (The
summons shall be communicated to the person wanted for interrogation through
one of the process servers or public authority officers who shall deliver a copy
of the summons to that person, if available, or to an adult member of his
family, residing with him). Based on this, it was stated by Interior Ministry
in its issue statement: (and there were a number of wanted men - and while the
security men were to initiate the arrest of the wanted - the killing of wanted/
Ali Ahmed Al-Faraj and Hussein Ali Al-Faraj - and searched the site where of
the wanted were present) is unlike what it actually happened and violating
legal proceeds, where Ali Ahmed Al-Faraj did not respond to summon directed to
him or to a member of his family.
The same applies to Ali
Ahmad Al-Faraj, who was recently and routinely in a government departments, and
usually if someone is wanted, then not only (government services) would be
stopped, but even the person himself/herself would be arrested as it happened
in many cases.
We in the European Saudi
Society for human rights, we call on the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia to reconsider the (Law for Terrorism Crimes and Financing of Terrorism),
and reconsider the other laws that are inconsistent with the Bill of Rights,
and which does not meet with the international covenants and conventions where
the kingdom has acknowledged and legally joined. We also call human rights
organizations to urge the Saudi government to deal with legitimate public
demand with no excessive force.
 |
| Hussein Al-Faraj was present with his camera in many social events |
 |
| Hussein Al-Faraj's photos were used by websites, social networks and TV channels |
 |
| Hussein Al-Faraj moments after shot dead |
 |
| Another photo, close up |
 |
| Hussein Al-Faraj in the first moments of his arrival dead to the hospital |
 |
| Hussein camera showing traces of blood |
| A YouTube video clip 00:02:49 showing Hussain Al-Faraj documenting with his camera funeral of a person who was shot dead by the security force http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAVQGFPR6x4  |
| Ali Ahmad Al-Faraj 22 years old |
[1] security spokesman at the Ministry of the
Interior: the killing of two wanted for security agencies and the death of two
security men and wounded two others in a face of security force mission in
Awamia
[2]
Awamia in three years, Gulf Forum for Civil Society organizations https://twitter.com/gulfdf/status/435680753410904065
[3]
For more information about Law for Terrorism Crimes and Financing of Terrorism
Saudi Arabia:
New terrorism law is latest tool to crush peaceful expression
Saudi Arabia: Terrorism Law Tramples on Rights
New Saudi Law Threatens Critics with “Terrorism”
Charges
Saudi Arabia’s new anti-terrorism law to criminalize
any form of dissent - including demanding political reform and exposing
corruption
Saudi passes anti-terror law, banning defamation
Escalated sharp criticism of
"anti-terrorism" Saudi http://www.bbc.co.uk/arabic/middleeast/2014/02/140202_saudi_emergency.shtml
Ali Al-Hattab BBC Arabic - terrorism law in Saudi
Arabia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBtQvQa2Qo4&feature=youtu.be
Law for Terrorism Crimes and Financing of Terrorism is
effective today in Saudi Arabia http://alhayat.com/Details/598642
New law of antiterrorism is to be applied in Saudi
Saudi Arabia: What can be achieved by the new antiterrorism
law? http://www.bbc.co.uk/arabic/interactivity/2014/02/140203_comments_saudi_new_terrorism_law.shtml
Amnesty: Saudi terror law 'would strangle protest'
Saudi activist: anti-terrorism law aimed at preventing
freedom of expression
[5]
Four dead during a police raid to arrest wanted in Saudi Arabia
[6]
More information about 23 wanted list in the following reports:
Demanded to be executed in Saudi Arabia, Al-Radwan,
was the 23 wanted list objective? The report of the European Saudi Society for
Human Rights http://esshright.blogspot.de/2014_01_01_archive.html
List of twenty three candle - highlights twenty three wanted
list in Qatif, Saudi Arabia report of the European Saudi Society for Human
Rights http://esshright.blogspot.de/2013/08/blog-post.html
[7]
Same source
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