A/HRC/57/60 Security Court in Riyadh. On 23 July 2023, his wife was informed by prison authorities in a phone call that her husband’s name was “not appearing in the system anymore.” Reportedly, Mr. Al Qahtani remains in detention in Riyadh and has not been permitted contact with the outside world since 23 July 2023. 157. The case of Ms. Loujain Al-Hathloul, a woman human rights defender, was included in the 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023 reports of the Secretary-General 166 on allegations of disappearance, detention and torture following her engagement with the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in March 2018. In June 2020, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found her detention arbitrary (A/HRC/WGAD/2020/33). In December 2020, Ms. Al-Hathloul was sentenced under national security related charges (SAU 3/2021).167 On 10 February 2021, she was released from prison on probation for three years and with a five-year travel ban.168 The Committee and special procedures mandate holders have addressed her situation repeatedly with the relevant authorities, including allegations of acts of reprisals for her cooperation with the United Nations.169 158. On 27 March 2024, special procedures mandate holders addressed the ongoing travel ban against Ms. Al-Hathloul, after the expiration of the 2 year and 10 months travel ban mandated in her sentence of December 2020 (SAU 1/2024), to which the Government responded. 170 Reportedly, the travel ban against her should have ended on 12 November 2023, but on 14 November, the officer in charge of the passport office in Riyadh could not confirm to Ms. Al-Hathloul that it had been lifted. Two days later, when she attempted to cross the Saudi-Bahrain border, she was informed that she was subject to a travel ban with no expiration date. Mandate holders noted that the two complaints she filed with the Saudi Human Rights Commission (SHRC), and upon SHRC’s recommendation also with the Presidency of State Security through the Board of Grievances, remained unanswered. On 21 February 2024, Ms. Al-Hathloul visited the passport office in Riyadh and learnt that she was still subject to a travel ban. 159. During the interactive dialogue of the Universal periodic review of Saudia Arabia held on 22 January 2024, the Member State received a recommendation to refrain from reprisals against human rights defenders for interaction with United Nations human rights mechanisms 171 (A/HRC/56/4 paras. 43.65). Saudi Arabia accepted 273 recommendations fully and 24 partially, which did not include the latter (A/HRC/56/4/Add.1 paras. 3 and 25).172 23. United Arab Emirates 160. During the reporting period, the United Nations High Commissioner for human rights and special procedures mandate holders raised public concerns over the mass trials of 84 individuals, and over broader patterns of suppression of dissent and restrictions on civic space in the country.173 Those tried included victims of intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the United Nations, namely Mr. Mohamed al-Mansoori and Mr. Ahmed Al Mansoor. 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 64 A/HRC/42/30, para. 73 and Annex I, paras. 91–93; A/HRC/45/36, Annex II, paras. 110–111; A/HRC/48/28, Annex II, paras. 114–116, A/HRC/51/47, Annex II, paras. 128–129. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=36216. https://www.ohchr.org/en/2021/02/bachelet-updates-human-rights-council-recent-human-rightsissues-more-50-countries?LangID=E&NewsID=26806. SAU 3/2021, SAU 8/2020, SAU 1/2019, SAU 7/2018, SAU 15/2014. See also, https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26593&LangID=E, A/HRC/48/55, paras. 46–50. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=38436. A/HRC/56/4 paras. 43.65. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessionsregular/session56/advance-versions/a-hrc-56-4-add-1-en-information.docx, para. 25. https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2024/03/turks-global-update-human-rightscouncil; United Arab Emirates: UN experts alarmed by new charges brought against civil society in UAE87 trial | OHCHR; https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/12/uae-un-expert-denouncesnew-charges-brought-against-jailed-human-rights. GE.24-14259