The Euro-Mediterranean Human Right Monitor and the International Institute for Rights and Development – Geneva (IRDG) have expressed their deep concern over the Saudi authorities’ illegal detention of dozens of Palestinians and cases of forced disappearance.

This came in a joint statement by Euro-Med and IRDG read during the 42nd ordinary session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva on Monday.

Their statement said that dozens of Palestinians are victims of enforced disappearance in Saudi Arabia, which is a crime under international law.

In early September, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Right Monitor documented the testimonies of 11 Palestinian families whose relatives had been detained or forcibly disappeared in recent months during their stay or visit to Saudi Arabia. They were isolated from the outside world without specific indictments or without being brought before the competent legal authorities. Also, they were not allowed to communicate with their families or contact their lawyers.

The two organizations underlined that the Saudi Authority has no legal basis for detaining these people without informing their families about their whereabouts.

The human rights groups called on HRC to strongly condemn the abduction and forced disappearance of innocent civilians and to make efforts to ensure their release.

They also called on all international parties to act immediately to save the Palestinians, including the elderly who have been subjected to enforced disappearance in the Kingdom, whose executive authorities have committed a long series of human rights violations.

The groups also urged the UN to open an urgent investigation into such incidents of enforced disappearance in Saudi Arabia and to work on prosecuting those responsible.