Human Rights Watch: The Trial of Espionage Suspects for Iran in Saudi Arabia is a Mockery of Justice

Human Rights Watch has severely criticized the trial of 32 espionage suspects in Saudi Arabia, calling it a 'mockery of justice.' Among these suspects is one Iranian and one Afghan, while the other 30 are Saudi citizens, all but one of whom are Shia Muslims. The statement from Human Rights Watch, which was reflected in the French news agency on Tuesday, May 17, refers to comments by Taha al-Hajji, a representative of the defense lawyers for these 32 suspects, who links their espionage trial to rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Relations between Tehran and Riyadh have been severed since mid-January following an attack by a group on Saudi diplomatic sites in Iran. The trial of these 32 suspects began in mid-winter, while all but one have been in detention for three years. Taha al-Hajji questions the timing of their trial with the severance of relations between Tehran and Riyadh, stating that Saudi Arabia suddenly brought these suspects to court. In recent years, Riyadh has consistently accused Tehran of interfering in the affairs of regional countries. The two countries have particularly opposing positions in the civil wars in Syria and Yemen, which has significantly exacerbated their disputes. The 32 individuals in question are accused of espionage for Iranian security forces, and as reported by Al Arabiya news network last winter, the Saudi prosecutor's office claims that they attempted to incite a rebellion in the Qatif region of eastern Saudi Arabia with Iranian support. However, Human Rights Watch's statement calls the trial of these suspects a 'mockery of justice' and emphasizes that their rights have been violated. The statement indicates that the responsible authorities have not allowed defense lawyers to meet with their clients or access the case files. According to Human Rights Watch, the Saudi prosecutor's office has requested the death penalty for 25 of these suspects. The high rate of capital punishment in Saudi Arabia has always drawn protests from human rights groups. This rate notably increased in 2015 to over 150 cases, while according to Amnesty International, 90 people were executed in that country the year before.