The report presents a damning assessment of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, and is made more powerful by the fact that it is the product of an official Saudi invitation.
The UN’s special rapporteur on anti-terrorism, the British QC Ben Emmerson, met senior Saudi politicians, judges, police and prosecutors during his trip.
According to the UN report: "Those who peacefully exercise their right to freedom of expression are systematically persecuted in Saudi Arabia. Many languish in prison for years. Others have been executed after blatant miscarriages of justice".
The report adds: "A culture of impunity prevails for public officials who are guilty of acts of torture and other ill-treatment. Peaceful avenues for redress of grievances are foreclosed by the use of repressive measures to silence civil society."
The UN report was completed before the most recent wave of arrests of human rights activists in recent weeks.
However, the Saudi government insists that its anti-terror laws meet national and international human rights standards.
