The European Center for Democracy and Human Rights, along with the Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain, is launching the “Unmuting Saudi Voices: A Call for Civic Freedom” campaign to expose the ongoing repression of civic space in Saudi Arabia and hold the Saudi state accountable for silencing its citizens and violating their rights.
Why This Campaign Matters
Under the reign of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who came to power in 2017, the already-limited freedoms have been further curtailed. Activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens who challenge the status quo are often charged with terrorism or undermining national security, facing severe punishments for simply exercising their right to freedom of expression.
Prominent figures such as women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul and human rights lawyer Waleed Abulkhair have been wrongfully imprisoned, and countless others face similar fates for daring to speak out against the regime. The Saudi Arabian government uses prejudicial anti-terrorism laws to justify these actions, wrongfully equating peaceful activism with threats to national security.
The crackdown extends beyond Saudi borders, as the government has been accused of targeting dissidents living abroad, most notably in the case of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whose assassination in 2018 sparked international outrage. Despite global condemnation, the repression continues.
In 2023, CIVICUS, a global alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society, gave Saudi Arabia an alarming score of just 4 out of 100 in terms of civic space openness. This score highlights the extreme restrictions posed on basic freedoms in the country, where expressing dissent, assembling peacefully, or associating with like-minded individuals can lead to arbitrary imprisonment, torture, or even execution.
The civic space is a vital aspect of democracy. It is the environment that allows individuals and groups, such as human rights defenders and civil societies, to freely express their opinions, organize, and act on important issues. Civic space is the foundation of a free society, where voices can rise, ideas can flourish, and communities can push for change without fear of censorship or retaliation.
Without a free and open civic space, human rights defenders, journalists, and activists in Saudi Arabia are left vulnerable. In this climate of fear, people are stripped of their ability to hold their government accountable for human rights violations. The Saudi Arabian government must be called upon to reverse this course and restore freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.
We must protect the civic space to ensure that journalists, human rights defenders, activists, citizens, and civil societies in Saudi Arabia are safe.
Our Mission
The “Unmuting Saudi Voices: A Call for Civic Freedom” campaign seeks to address these grave injustices. We aim to raise global awareness about the dire state of civic space in Saudi Arabia and call on the Saudi Arabian state to take immediate action to safeguard its citizens’ rights.
Stay tuned to our websites, Instagram and X accounts for updates on the campaign, and join the conversation to #UnmuteSaudiVoices and #LiberateSaudiCivicSpace.
Your voice is crucial in this fight. By following our campaign, sharing our content, and tagging the King and Prince of Saudi Arabia —you can help our campaign reach those in power and pressure them to end their repressive actions.
Join us in the fight for civic freedom.