HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MECCA REGION BRANCH: LOW

C O N F I D E N T I A L JEDDAH 000306

SIPDIS

RIYADH PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR JLIEBERMAN IN
DRL/NESCA AND BMCGRATH IN NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2028
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR KWMN SA
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MECCA REGION BRANCH: LOW
PROFILE, LESS IMPACT

REF: A. JEDDAH 498 B. RIYADH 01767 C. JEDDAH 141

Classified By: Acting Consul General CB Toney for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: In a July 20 meeting to discuss the status of
the Human Rights Commission (HRC) Mecca region branch,
women's section head Entesar Felemban informed PolOff of
cases received, HRC internal dynamics, as well as the
branch's relationship with the National Society for Human
Rights (NSHR) Jeddah office. Felemban stated that an HRC
office opened in Jeddah in July 2007 and that the women's
section opened in February 2008. She added that it has been
receiving an increasing number of cases, most of which
involved domestic abuse, while also maintaining a low profile
(the HRC office in Jeddah is unmarked). She praised HRC
President Turki Al-Sudairy for his work but criticized branch
director Abdullah Al-Meatani for lack of support toward and
nepotism in the women's section. She also spoke negatively
of the NSHR Jeddah office, claiming that it focused too much
on obtaining good media coverage and arguing that it received
a higher case volume due to the opportunistic nature of its
staff. END SUMMARY.

HRC BRANCH CASES: MAINLY DOMESTIC ABUSE


2. (C) The Saudi government established the HRC in September
2005 (Reftel B) but the Mecca region branch did not open
until July 2007, with the women's section opening the
following February. Women's section head Entesar Felemban
shared with PolOff that it continues to receive mostly by
phone an increasing number of cases. She added that most of
the cases relate to domestic abuse among Saudis and
non-Saudis. She stated that they resolve such cases by
sending social workers to homes to meet with the families to
address issues underlying abuse. If intervention fails, she
added, then the HRC places the women and children in local
shelters. (COMMENT: However, since the HRC Mecca branch has
been receiving cases for less than a year, it is too soon to
tell whether such interventions are effective. END COMMENT.)

DISTRUST OF BRANCH DIRECTOR; UNDERQUALIFIED STAFF, ALLEGED
NEPOTISM


3. (C) Felemban attributed her success at the HRC to her
strong relationship with HRC President Al-Sudairy and her
assertive nature but chastised branch head Al-Meatani for
focusing too little on the women's section and hiring
underqualified staff. She stated that in a few cases
Al-Meatani refused to support HRC involvement in cases he
deemed "too sensitive," but she was unable to explain his
criteria for such a determination. She recounted one case in
which a Saudi woman sought help in releasing her son from
jail after the Ministry of Interior (MOI) arrested him for
his mother's alleged non-payment of debt, despite Felemban's
previous assistance in negotiating a payment plan. Felemban
speculated that the MOI's involvement dissuaded Al-Meatani
from accepting the case.


4. (C) Felemban further criticized Al-Meatani for hiring
women from non-human rights related fields. She said of the
approximately 10 Saudi women working in her section, none
held degrees in sociology, psychology, or law, but rather in
history and library science. (COMMENT: While Post has
interacted with a number of Saudi women with sociology,
psychology, and law degrees, the Mecca regional government
has reported in Saudi English language dailies that there
exists a large shortage of professionals to assist "battered
women" in particular (Reftel A). END COMMENT) She added
that one employee was the sister of Al-Meatani. She alleged
that while Al-Sudairy initially refused to hire Al-Meatani's
sister, Al-Meatani manipulated the hiring system to benefit
her. He instructed his sister to re-submit her application
removing the Al-Meatani name and altering her job history.
In contrast, she noted that the men's section had more
qualified individuals and did not highlight any cases of
nepotism but could not account for the discrepancy in hiring
practices between the sections.

WESTERN REGION HRC-NSHR RELATIONS: COOL


5. (C) Despite HRC President Al-Sudairy's previous statement
that the HRC works closely with the NSHR (Reftel B),Felemban
indicated that in the Mecca region, the relationship is less
cordial. She argued that HRC Mecca region branch officials
believe that their NSHR Jeddah office counterparts are too
concerned with media coverage. Felemban stated that the HRC
Jeddah office receives fewer cases, without providing an
estimate, than the NSHR Jeddah office, which receives 100-123

cases monthly. (A contact at the NSHR Jeddah office with
friends at the HRC Jeddah office stated that the HRC may have
received approximately 200 cases in total during the past
year and added that the office is not marked by a sign, so
people do not know where to go to seek the HRC's assistance.)
Felemban attributed the HRC's having fewer cases to
Al-Sudairy's preference that the HRC maintain a low profile.


6. (C) COMMENT: In the Mecca region, the NSHR appears more
capable than the HRC in using the media for public outreach
and in sharing statistics and case information. Saudi
English language dailies often highlight NSHR efforts to
inform on human rights issues, in particular domestic
violence (Reftel A). While currently the HRC Mecca region
branch has maintained a low profile and thus does not attract
the same number of cases or media attention, HRC President Al
Sudairy's previous remarks on improving the latter (Reftel B)
suggest that they will slowly open. As that occurs, Post
will continue to pursue meetings with the HRC to inquire
about its human rights activities. (NOTE: The HRC Mecca
region branch has to date refused to meet officially with
Post and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not
responded to Post's request for a meeting. END NOTE.) END
COMMENT.


7. (C) BIO NOTE. Entesar Felemban (also spelled Intisar
Felimban) is from Mecca and holds a bachelors degree in
education, a masters degree in law, and a doctorate in
international law from Saudi academic institutions. In
addition to her work at the Mecca region HRC branch, she is
also the Director of Educational Media at the Ministry of
Education. She has participated in a number of international
conferences and workshops in both professional and personal
capacities, including: the August 2007 International
Institute for Muslim Unity in Malaysia and the May 2008
United Nations workshop on Human Rights in Jordan. She is
married but separated from her Jordanian spouse, and has two
children. She speaks very little English. END BIO NOTE.
TONEY