Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2026
208. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the details of his engagements with the government of Saudi Arabia and its embassy in Dublin regarding the arbitrary detention and torture of human rights defenders (details supplied). [3363/26]
View answerThe promotion and protection of human rights is an integral part of Ireland’s foreign policy and we consistently discuss human rights with Saudi Arabia and other partners through the most appropriate and effective channels, including at a bilateral and European Union level, and through the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism.
In bilateral engagements with Saudi Arabia, we regularly discuss human rights, including our long-standing opposition to the death penalty. Together with diplomats from EU Member States, Ireland’s Embassy in Riyadh has actively engaged on these issues, including through attendance at the trial of an individual referred to by the Deputy.
At EU level, we have supported the promotion of human rights through the EU-Saudi Arabia Human Rights Dialogue. The most recent dialogue was held in Brussels in November 2025 and covered a wide range of topics, including women’s rights, the protection of vulnerable groups, the rule of law, fair trial guarantees and capital punishment, economic, social and cultural rights, freedoms of expression, assembly and association, and digital rights and the human rights implications of new technologies.
At the United Nations, Ireland’s UPR statement on Saudi Arabia in 2024 called for an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty with a view to its eventual abolition, and to commute existing death sentences. Ireland also recommended adoption of legislation to guarantee the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, peaceful assembly and association, including protections for journalists, human rights defenders and civil society, in accordance with international human rights law and relevant international human rights standards.
Ireland will continue to monitor developments in Saudi Arabia, and to engage with Saudi Arabia on these matters.
