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