Saudi Arabia’s Draft Counterterrorism Law a Setback for Human Rights

Human Rights Watch is deeply concerned by the human rights implications of the draft Law of Sanctions for Crimes of Terrorism and Its Financing of 2011 (the “draft counterterrorism law”). The flaws of the draft counterterrorism law can be summed up under the following categories, all of which in some way would seriously undermine the protection of human rights if implemented: problematic definitions of terrorism; broad restrictions on rights to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, and association; excessive police and prosecutorial powers, infringing on the right to privacy; and intrusions on the independence of the courts and on the right to a fair trial.