Members press Obama to raise human rights in Saudi Arabia
Seventy members of Congress are asking US President Barack Obama to raise concerns about human rights during his meetings in Saudi Arabia on Friday.
An unusual alliance of conservative Christian Republicans and liberal Democrats are putting pressure on President Barack Obama to publicly address human rights violations when he visits Saudi Arabia on Friday, March 28, further complicating the president’s effort to mend bridges with the kingdom.
A total of 70 House members have signed on to a letter to the president being circulated by Reps. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., and Jim McGovern, D-Mass..
The letter, which was first made public by Al-Monitor last week, has been endorsed by groups as varied as Amnesty International, the National Organization for Women and Voice of the Martyrs. It calls on the president to denounce the “systematic human rights violations targeting women, religious minorities and peaceful political reformers.”
“If your administration has previously raised such concerns through private channels,” the letter states, “the Government of Saudi Arabia’s grave human rights record reveals its willingness to ignore such advice.
