Teams from Human Rights Commission (HRC) will pay surprise visits to prisons and detaining centers to check the living conditions in these facilities, it was announced here Sunday. A HRC statement said the inspection tours are being organized in compliance with the directives of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Article (5) of the HRC regulations. The visits are to ensure that detainees are guaranteed their rights including that to a fair trial and fast procedures at the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution. The HRC statement lauded the directives of Crown Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, to protect and safeguard the rights of detainees. The HRC statement also explained the commission's role as an observer of the justice system. The HRC teams attend all court sessions, public and in camera without exception to ensure they are conducted properly. This includes judges listing the detainee's rights, the charges against them, allowing them time to respond personally or through lawyers, and giving them the right to challenge legal verdicts within the allowed time. The statement also praised the use of technology and screens inside the courts which allow defendants to see clerk's transcriptions so they can change their replies. According to the HRC report, there are a total of 4,662 inmates inside General Intelligence Department prisons; 80% of them are Saudis with the rest from 51 other countries.
