On 2 August 2025, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) delivered an intervention during the 60th session of the Human Rights Council, under Item 9. ADHRB highlighted the systematic persecution of Shia citizens in Saudi Arabia and called for an end to sectarian discrimination, the release of detainees, freedom of religious practice, accountability for perpetrators, and an independent investigation into violations.

For decades, Shia citizens in Saudi Arabia, comprising around 12% of the population, have faced systematic religious persecution and severe restrictions on religious practice, particularly in the Eastern Province.

During Muharram, Ashura ceremonies become a repressive space marked by the curtailment of religious gatherings, bans on independent preachers, loudspeakers, Shia guesthouses, and religious slogans in public places. Authorities also carry out arbitrary arrests and summonses targeting clerics, preachers, and eulogists, while imposing strict censorship on sermons, all blatant violations of freedom of worship.

Sectarian discrimination includes the denial of government employment for Shia citizens, exclusion from leadership roles, educational exclusion, and unfair prosecution, including politically motivated, lengthy prison sentences and executions.

We demand an end to all forms of sectarian discrimination in Saudi Arabia, the release of detainees on religious grounds, the guarantee of freedom of religious practice, accountability for perpetrators of violations, and an independent investigation into arbitrary arrests and executions.

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