Four years passed since Abdul Rahim Al-Huwaiti’s murder
Four years have gone since Saudi police opened fire on Saudi citizen Abdul Rahim Al-Huwaiti for refusing his forced evacuation from his home in profit of the NEOM project. Even though there is video footage of the incident, justice has not been achieved, and his killers have not been held accountable.
As part of a series of eviction orders issued by the government against the Al-Huwaitat tribe, Saudi security forces surrounded the home of citizen Abdul Rahim Al-Huwaiti on April 13, 2020, to make way for “Neom City,” which is planned to seize lands these citizens are included in the project.
Al-Huwaiti recorded the event prior to his death, claiming to be in danger and expressing concern that if he persisted in his refusal to leave the house, he would be falsely accused of terrorism and resisting the law, for which he would not receive just compensation.
It was precisely as Al-Huwaiti had predicted. The video footage of the incident proves that the forces did not follow the principle of proportionality in the use of force and weapons. It was said that he resisted the authorities, and two security personnel, whose identities were not revealed, were hurt. If the accounts from the authorities are true, then Al-Huwaiti was a single person, and it made absolutely no sense to fire dozens of security personnel at him in a hail of bullets.
The Al-Huwaitat tribe members resisted the regime’s oppressive actions for months, refusing to meet the evacuation orders, especially in light of the inadequate compensation. Rather than looking for alternative solutions, the government started campaigns of arrests and intimidation against the tribe’s members.
Shortly after the killing of Abdul Rahim Al-Huwaiti, Saudi Arabia authorities arrested three members of the Al-Huwaiti tribe for resisting their eviction, including his brother and his brother’s wife Halima Al-Huwaiti.
Till today, Halima continues to be forcibly disappeared without being brought before court.
In October 2022, Saudi Arabia’s Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) has sentenced to death three members of the al-Huwaiti tribe for resisting their eviction.
The three detainees are Shadli al-Huwaiti, Ibrahim al-Huwaiti and Ataullah al-Huwaiti who were detained in 2020 for opposing the eviction plan.
In this regard, we renew our complete rejection of the Saudi crackdown against the Al-Huwaiti members that clearly violates the international laws and covenants.
We also call on the international community and UN agencies to intervene urgently to save the Al-Huwaiti tribe, and to put pressure on the Saudi authorities to reveal the fate of those who forcibly disappeared following the events. We further call on the international community to stop the forced eviction of the Al-Huwaiti community and ensure their safe return to their homeland.
