Human rights in Saudi Arabia

Human rights in Saudi Arabia are generally considered to be minimal to non-existent. Under the authoritarian rule of the Saudi royal family, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has enforced strict sharia religious laws under a doctrine of Wahabism. Many western freedoms as described in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights do not exist; it is alleged that capital punishment and other penalties are often given to suspected criminals without due process. Saudi Arabia has also come under fire for its oppression of religious and political minorities, torture of prisoners, and attitude toward foreign expatriates, homosexuality, and women. Although major human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly expressed concern about the states of human rights in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom denies that any human rights abuses take place. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has ratified the International Convention against Torture in October 1997 according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Israeli citizens and travelers with Israeli stamps on their passports are forbidden to enter the country. It has been stated that Jews of any nationality are not allowed visas