Saudi
Two stories have recently surfaced from Saudi Arabia - one good, the other very bad.Firstly, three Saudi liberal democrats- sentenced in May to lengthy prison stays after circulating a petition calling for a peaceful transition to constitutional democracy- have been pardoned along with their attorney by the new King Abdullah.
It's good news, of course, but it hardly represents a fundamental change in the regime's repressive approach to dissent- any more than the Castro regime's periodic release of jailed dissidents represents a new birth of freedom in Cuba.
On a shitty note, after standing up for Democracy in Uzbekistan, Bush has refused act on his condemnation of the Saudi's for their repression of religious rights.
By citing the Saudi regime, the administration was making it liable for sanctions under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA).
Under the IRFA, the administration is required to “take action to oppose religious freedom violations” in Saudi Arabia within 90 days of making the designation. The administration can choose from among 15 actions, ranging from a condemnation to significant economic sanctions. But, more than 5 months after the 90 day deadline expired, the Bush administration has done nothing.
posted by Alexander Try @ 12:12 pm
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