Saudi Arabia is taking modest steps to improve its human rights record as it tries to navigate the coronavirus pandemic and the fallout from plunging oil prices that have rankled the United States and the Trump administration, The Associated Press reports.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the force behind Saudi Arabia’s sweeping changes, is eyeing further steps he hopes will improve the kingdom’s international image.
In the past week alone, the kingdom announced two changes to the law: banning flogging as a punishment and doing away with the death penalty for crimes committed by minors.
People familiar with the crown prince’s plans say future steps are likely to be announced within weeks and months and will involve penal changes so that punishments meted out for specific crimes are no longer the sole purview of judges.
Still, it may not be enough to win Riyadh fresh support in Washington or praise from human rights groups.
The crown prince, while transforming life inside Saudi Arabia, has overseen a parallel crackdown on activists and perceived critics. Among those detained in the prince’s quest to solidify power are dual U.S.-Saudi nationals, women’s rights activists, writers, moderate clerics and senior princes.
Saudi Arabia’s already strained relationship with Congress has worsened in past weeks, including among members of President Donald Trump’s party.
Republicans have accused Saudi Arabia of exacerbating instability in the oil market. That came after the kingdom ramped up oil production and slashed prices following a breakdown in talks with Russia over production cuts before a new deal was reached, AP adds.
The volatility and price crash in oil, amid already weakened demand due to the coronavirus pandemic, pummeled U.S. shale producers, leading to layoffs in the industry, particularly in Republican-run states.
Some Republican senators warned in late March that if Saudi Arabia does not change course, it risks losing American defense support and facing a range of potential “levers of statecraft” such as tariffs and other trade restrictions, investigations and sanctions.
The backlash couldn’t have come at a worse time for the kingdom as tensions remain high with rival Iran.
The crown prince may be hoping that continuous reforms can revive what had largely been a warm relationship with the Trump administration, which has deployed U.S. troops to the kingdom to deter Iranian attacks. Positive headlines could also help maintain support from Washington even if Trump is defeated in November.
Domestically, the crown prince’s reform efforts are aimed at modernizing the country and creating millions of jobs to stave off an upswell in unemployment and discontent among the majority of the population, who are under the age of 35.
Be the first to comment