The National Human Rights Society (HNRS) is rushing to meet with the Saudi Minister of Justice to discuss reasons for the slow legal proceedings in Saudi courts, believed to be responsible for the crowding of detainees in prisons. According to the London-based Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat, the society's team has made its move after it had been told by Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, the Saudi Minister of Interior, that the Ministry of Interior has nothing to do with delays in judicial procedures, because they come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. Dr. Bandr Al-Hajar, Chairman of the NHRS, who met with Prince Naif in his office in Riyadh on Sunday along with 11 of the society's members, described the society's meeting with Prince Naif as transparent, candid and direct. During the meeting, Prince Naif reiterated the rights of citizens and residents defined in the Kingdom's rules. He also discussed the trials of terrorist suspects being detained on grounds of terrorist acts that have stricken the country since May 12, 2003. Prince Naif hoped that other authorities would carry out their tasks so that the suspects can stand trial as soon as possible. Prince Naif revealed a plan by the ministry to open some more correctional facilities to reduce the crowding of prisoners. He said that the ministry is working on replacing the aging, inadequate prisons with new ones that would have all the facilities needed for caring for and reforming prisoners. Hajar said the NHRS is concerned about sluggish legal proceedings, adding that Prince Naif had made it clear that the Ministry of Justice is directly responsible for this. “The NHRS has received several complaints from prisoners being held for long periods without being tried, especially when it had visited the Breman Prison in Jeddah,” he said. Hajar said the NHRS is doing what it can to meet with the Justice Minister as soon as possible to raise the issue with him. The NHRS also discussed with Prince Naif complaints by some prisoners that they have been taken to prisons far away from their families, which causes a lot of inconvenience to their families when they call on them. Prince Naif said that prisoners should not be taken to prisons far away from their families, unless there are strong reasons to do so from a security standpoint, or if the prison in their place of residence is unable to accommodate them due to full capacity. The society's members also raised the issue of poor health standards in prisons and sponsors' reluctance and maneuvering to complete the departure formalities of the employees who complete their jail term. They also suggested working out a new mechanism that would allow foreign workers who have disputes with their sponsors to renew their residence permits (iqamas) instead of being held indefinitely. On raising the issue of the nationality of children of Saudi women married to foreigners and the status of their husbands and children, Prince Naif directed the authorities concerned at the ministry to study this issue with the NHRS. About bans on travel and limiting it to cases defined by the law, Prince Naif said the Ministry is striving to resolve this issue. __
