Okaz/Saudi Gazette

MAKKAH – Dr. Mufleh Bin Rubaiaan Al-Qahtani, president of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), is expecting a speedy solution to the issue of people without identity. “We have learned that the Interior Ministry’s agency for civil status affairs is exerting great efforts to solve this problem,” he said.

Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, he said this is one of the main issues that concern NSHR, especially after the issuance of new rules and regulations. “This is a complex issue because a person without identity will not be able to obtain a job or join educational institutions or receive health services from hospitals,” he explained.

Al-Qahtani said higher authorities have agreed to change some of the articles of NSHR’s basic law to strengthen the organization to carry out its mission more efficiently and realize its objective of defending human rights. “Royal decrees have been issued to cooperate with NSHR in order to realize its mission,” he added.

The NSHR has been contacting the Public Prosecution Department regarding certain issues on a daily basis. “We have been coordinating with the department’s branches in various parts of the country. We are not an agency to find mistakes with others but we support various judicial, executive and monitoring agencies to successfully carry out their mission,” he said.

“We are an impartial body,” the president said about NSHR.

Al-Qahtani said the issuance of laws for prevention of torture and protection of children have contributed in reducing family violence across the Kingdom. “Family violence is a sensitive issue and must be handled by experts as we want both the attacker and his victim to return to normalcy to live together as one family,” he added.

He said family violence should not reach the stage of crime. “We should be able to tackle the issue in advanced stages through advice and counseling,” he pointed out. “Family is the nucleus of a society and family violence would affect the society as a whole if it’s not handled properly.”

The NSHR has got an advisory role at the UN Economic and Social Council, the president said. “This provides us an opportunity to express our opinion on many issues. Our efforts to protect human rights will continue. At times we have to focus on certain issues to solve them quickly. We are also trying to include human rights in the school curricula,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Sulaiman Bin Awad Al-Zayedi, director of the society’s branch office in the Makkah region, said his office received 177 complaints in 2017 including 69 cases related to administration, 34 on prisoners, 24 on family violence, 24 on labor disputes, 11 on judicial issues, 8 regarding personal status issues and 15 cases related to violence against children.