The Saudi Embassy in the United Kingdom has described Amnesty International's concerns about the country's anti-terror draft law as “baseless and sheer assumptions”. In a statement Friday, the Saudi embassy said the law was being reviewed by the Shoura Council to help the Saudi security forces face terrorists. The statement said Amnesty International did not even bother to call the Saudi Embassy to get any clarification. Instead, the Amnesty went ahead and criticized the law and said that it might suppress protests inside the Kingdom, the embassy statement said. mnesty International distributed its statement to the mass media with its own explanation of the law. The Saudi Embassy only learned about the accusations when a journalist called to get comment from the embassy on the subject. “Amnesty International's concerns about the draft law are baseless and mere assumptions,” the statement said. The statement said that the Kingdom is determined to fight terrorism from which it has been suffering since 1995. Al-Qaeda cells in the Kingdom have been destroyed. “Many terror acts had taken place before 1995 and scores of victims lost their lives, let alone the large number of people who were terrified by these acts. These cells were eradicated thanks to efforts from the Saudi security forces,” the statement added. Prince Muhammad Bin Nawaf Bin Abdul Aziz, Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom, said: “What Amnesty International has said about the draft law, that it will be used against dissenters not terrorists is not correct. Amnesty International did not call the Saudi Embassy to voice its concerns about the draft law. This is not the first time Amnesty International has failed to call the embassy regarding accusations leveled at the Kingdom. This last incident makes the Kingdom worry that Amnesty International and other organizations are launching a media campaign to damage the Kingdom's reputation.” The Saudi Embassy will contact the secretary general of Amnesty International regarding this matter, Prince Muhammad Bin Nawaf added.
