Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman Announces Human Rights and Judicial Reforms Amid US Pressure

White House "Expecting Saudi Human Rights Improvements" Announced Three Days After Demand
Burdened by Khashoggi Murder Case and Possible US Financial Sanctions

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, known as the de facto ruler, has directly announced judicial reform bills aimed at improving human rights. This move is interpreted as a response to ongoing pressure from the Joe Biden U.S. administration demanding human rights improvements and the cessation of war support. With the Biden administration being sensitive to human rights issues and concerns raised that it might impose financial sanctions on Saudi Arabia, it is expected that the Saudi royal family will continue to announce human rights improvement measures for some time.

According to foreign media including the Associated Press on the 8th (local time), Crown Prince bin Salman stated in a declaration that "Four bills concerning personal status law, civil transaction law, criminal law on discretionary sentencing, and evidence law will soon be promulgated with the goal of protecting human rights and enhancing transparency," emphasizing that "Individuals who have suffered due to unclear legal standards, especially women, will no longer be harmed once these bills are implemented." These bills are known to be measures to strengthen the status of women and to prevent punishments that were previously carried out based on Islamic law and customs rather than investigations by judicial authorities.

The announcement of judicial reform by Crown Prince bin Salman came just three days after the White House directly demanded human rights improvements in Saudi Arabia. On the 5th, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated in a briefing, "We expect Saudi Arabia to take steps to improve human rights, including the release of political prisoners such as women’s rights activists."

The Biden administration has publicly criticized Saudi Arabia’s human rights issues since the change of administration. From the 28th of last month, it temporarily suspended arms exports to Saudi Arabia, and on the 4th of this month, President Biden personally declared the cessation of U.S. support in the war between Saudi Arabia and Yemeni rebels. The U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) also pressured the Saudi royal family by announcing the declassification of information related to the murder of anti-government journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi consulate in Turkey in 2018.

U.S. political media outlet Politico stated, "The Biden administration’s announcement to declassify information on the Khashoggi murder case, suggesting the possibility of directly naming Crown Prince bin Salman as the mastermind behind the incident, is causing significant pressure on the Saudi royal family," and predicted, "With concerns about possible U.S. financial sanctions, announcements of human rights improvement measures by the Saudi royal family are expected to continue for some time."

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