Saudi Youths Bid to Shake up Kingdom’s Policies

A group, which has recently popped up in Saudi Arabia, announced in a statement that it is not affiliated with any political party.
In the statement, the group also described its demands, which include freedom of political prisoners, reforming the country’s diplomacy regarding support of repressive states, halting the broadcast of al-Arabiya TV channel, ending the country’s oil export to the United States and the trial of corrupted elements in the country even if they are from the royal family.

The group also said that its members would hold peaceful demonstrations on a specific day, which would be announced via Facebook or internet sites and media, al-Alam reported.

Antigovernment protests have intensified in Saudi Arabia since November 2011, when security forces opened fire on protestors in the town of Qatif in Eastern Province, killing five people and leaving scores more injured.

Activists say there are around 30,000 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia.

In October 2012, Amnesty International called on the Saudi authorities to stop using excessive force against pro-democracy protestors.

“The Saudi authorities must end their repeated moves to stifle people’s attempts to protest against the widespread use of arbitrary detention in the country,” Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s director for the Middle-East and North Africa, said in mid-October.

“The right of people to peaceful protest must be respected and the security forces must refrain from detaining or using excessive force against people who exercise it,” he added.