To: President Donald Trump and The United States House of Representatives

Saudi Arabia: Don't Behead Poet For His Beliefs

President Obama and Members of Congress should call on Saudi Arabia to cancel the death sentence against Ashraf Fayadh for "apostasy" and to release him immediately.

Why is this important?

One of the absurdities of U.S. policy in the Middle East is that the U.S. government loudly complains about ISIS beheading people for their beliefs but turns a blind eye when the government of Saudi Arabia does the same thing.

A Saudi court sentenced a Palestinian man to death for apostasy on November 17, 2015, for alleged blasphemous statements during a discussion group and in a book of his poetry, Human Rights Watch reports. [1] The accused, Ashraf Fayadh, 35, denies the charges and claims that another man made false accusations to the country’s religious police following a personal dispute. “Regardless of what Fayadh said or didn’t say, Saudi Arabia should stop arresting people for their personal beliefs,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director. “The fact that Ashraf Fayadh is facing the prospect of being beheaded only adds to the outrageousness of this court ruling.”

Saudi authorities regularly pursue charges against individuals based solely on their peaceful exercise of freedom of expression, in violation of international human rights obligations, HRW says. The Arab Charter on Human Rights, which Saudi Arabia has ratified, guarantees the right to freedom of opinion and expression under article 32. “This death sentence against Fayadh is yet another indictment of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record,” Whitson said. “The Saudi authorities should immediately vacate this sentence and order Fayadh’s release.”

Urge President Obama and Members of Congress to demand that Saudi Arabia cancel the death sentence against Ashraf Fayadh and release him immediately by signing our petition.

References:
1. "Saudi Arabia: Poet Sentenced to Death for Apostasy; Reverses Earlier Ruling of 4 Years, 800 Lashes," Human Rights Watch, November 23, 2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/11/23/saudi-arabia-poet-sentenced-death-apostasy