Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia employs harsh measures to silence critics, making it one of the world’s top jailers of writers in the Freedom to Write Index. Writers and human rights defenders are charged under broad national security provisions, as authorities invoke anti-terrorism and cybercrime laws to justify extended detention — sometimes for years without trial — in ways that violate both domestic legal standards and international human rights obligations. Its courts are widely known for imposing lengthy sentences following prolonged and often unfair proceedings. Even when writers are released from jail, Saudi authorities often impose restrictive conditions, including travel bans, that undermine their human rights.