Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06RIYADH1920
2006-03-21 09:03:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Riyadh
Cable title:  

'CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY' IS OFF-LIMITS FOR A

Tags:  PGOV PHUM KMPI KIRF KPAO SA 
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VZCZCXRO6240
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHRH #1920 0800903
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 210903Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5364
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2513
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0467
C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 001920 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DHAHRAN SENDS
PARIS FOR ZEYA, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KMPI KIRF KPAO SA
SUBJECT: 'CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY' IS OFF-LIMITS FOR A
SAUDI JOURNALIST


Classified By: Consul General John Kincannon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 001920

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DHAHRAN SENDS
PARIS FOR ZEYA, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KMPI KIRF KPAO SA
SUBJECT: 'CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY' IS OFF-LIMITS FOR A
SAUDI JOURNALIST


Classified By: Consul General John Kincannon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).


1. (C) Nawal Al Yousif (protect),a Shi'a journalist and
founder of www.saudiyat.net, noted in a meeting with the PAO
on March 17, 2006 that mentioning a constitutional democracy
in her writing crossed a red line with the Saudi Ministry of
Interior. "The Mubahith (Investigative Police) came to see
me, and said I could continue to write about women's rights,
human rights and about the Shi'a," Ms. Al Yousif explained,
"but told me not to write about the need for a constitutional
democracy." Ms. Al Yousif's website remains accessible in
Saudi Arabia. In response to this guidance, she no longer
refers to constitutional democracy, but writes regularly
about women's, human, and religious rights.


2. (SBU) Bionote: Nawal Al Yousif is a journalist from
Seihat, a village near the oasis town of Qatif. After
writing for the Eastern Province regional newspaper Al Yaum
for several years, she resigned in 2003. Unable to find a
permenant job, she decided in November 2005 to launch her own
website. Since then www.saudiyat.net has had over 275,000
hits. End bionote.

(APPROVED: KINCANNON)
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