Joint statement: Civil society demands action ahead of Internet Governance Forum – apc.org

APC commits every year to strengthen the IGF, investing significant time and scarce resources into its national, regional, and global forums. The meaningful participation of civil society at the annual meeting plays a vital role in upholding the multistakeholder model of dialogue that the IGF Mandate is premised upon. The importance of civil society voices at the IGF cannot be understated. 
We firmly believe that we cannot build towards the Internet We Want, especially one that is safe, open, secure, and rights-respecting, if the setting for these conversations is one where activists calling for basic rights continue to be ruthlessly targeted and silenced, with repressive laws being used to criminalize their peaceful expression and activism. It is essential that the IGF incorporates a robust, thorough human rights due diligence process in the review of future decisions about host locations and commit to hosting the IGF in contexts where civil society can freely and safely participate, ensuring all the necessary safeguards for robust civil society participation.
 
We, the undersigned human rights organizations, urge the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to release people imprisoned for their online expression and foster transparency and accountability, ahead of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2024 hosted in Riyadh between 15 and 19 December.
Over two months ago, on September 6, 2024, more than 40 civil society organizations called on Saudi Arabia to immediately release all people arbitrarily imprisoned for their online speech. However, these demands have not been met yet. As the IGF approaches, the systematic digital repression in Saudi Arabia — this year’s host country — stands in stark contradiction to the forum’s principle of fostering inclusive digital spaces and its consistent support for human rights. The Saudi government continues to escalate its crackdown on freedom of expression, targeting human rights defenders, women’s rights activists, and journalists, with some receiving lengthy prison sentences of up to 45 years for expressing dissent online. Authorities have also abused surveillance tools, including the infamous Pegasus spyware, to monitor and target critics and dissidents both within and beyond Saudi borders, exemplifying the Kingdom’s extensive transnational repression.

The record breaking number of executions in Saudi Arabia this year reflects a deepening human rights crisis. The execution of over 300 people, including more than 100 foreign nationals, underscores the kingdom’s disregard for due process and fundamental freedoms. 
Saudi authorities routinely engage in arbitrary arrests, unfair trials, and severe sentences targeting those who exercise their right to free expression online. The case of Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi and his brothers demonstrates how state repression creates a chilling effect, deterring others from exercising their right to free expression. Initially sentenced to death for critical posts on his X and YouTube handles with an audience of just 10 followers, Nasser’s sentence was commuted on September 24, 2024 to 30 years in prison. While the commutation is important, his lengthy arbitrary detention continues to constitute a grave injustice that highlights the severe crackdown on freedom of expression. The following emblematic cases further highlight the extent of repression in the country:
These cases are part of the Saudi government’s broader strategy to suppress dissent and control online narratives. Such repression of fundamental human rights inherently contradicts the IGF’s mission to promote open discussion on human rights and inclusivity in the digital age. Additionally, Saudi Arabia is courting Big Tech investments under the pretence of “creating a vibrant society” under the country’s Vision 2030, while simultaneously silencing those opposing it, as in the case of Asaad al-Ghamdi, a Saudi teacher, who was sentenced to prison for criticizing the vision of the Saudi Crown Prince. This also raises significant alarm about tech companies’ complicity in human rights violations in the country. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon continue to partner with the Saudi government, despite the lack of safeguards to mitigate risks in a country notorious for systematic repression and lack of judicial oversight.
Meanwhile, fears of surveillance, harassment, and reprisals deter meaningful participation by civil society at this year’s IGF. The lack of safety guarantees for participants diminishes the IGF’s role as a vital multi-stakeholder space where civil society plays an indispensable role in tech policy discussions. 
In a couple of days, Saudi Arabia is poised to lead discussions on the future of digital governance while simultaneously silencing critical voices, online and offline. Unless urgent steps are taken to address these violations, the IGF risks becoming a platform for legitimizing repression.
We, once again, urgently call for:
Hosting the IGF in Saudi Arabia without addressing these demands undermines the forum’s mission and enables the Saudi government to exploit this platform to whitewash its egregious rights violations. We call on the international community to stand in solidarity with the victims of repression in Saudi Arabia. The IGF must not serve as a tool for legitimizing oppression but rather as an open platform for advancing justice, human rights, and meaningful inclusivity.
 
Signatories:
Access Now
Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)
ALQST For Human Rights
INSM for Digital Rights- Iraq
DAWN
FairSquare
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
Tech Global Institute
Masaar, Egypt
Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC)
ARTICLE 19
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
Kandoo
Open Net (Korea)
The Future of Free Speech
Index on Censorship
Amnesty International 
CIVICUS
SMEX
Freedom House
Human Rights Watch
 
Association for Progressive Communications (APC) 2024. 
Unless otherwise stated, content on the APC website is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

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