Group 39 members lobby for Saudi focus case and gun legislation

On September 3, five members of Group 39 met with local staff at Senator Toomey’s office in Pittsburgh. The group presented two requests:

  • They aksed Senator Toomey to raise the case of the group’s focus case with the authorities in Saudi Arabia. This case, newly adopted by us this summer, is about two prisoners of conscience, Drs. Mohammed al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamid, who were co-founderes of the Saudi human rights organization ACPRA. Both men were convicted to long prison sentences of 10 and 11 years, respectively, in unfair trials. Their fate is symptomatic for the worsening human rights situation in Saudi Arabia overall.
  • Additionally, they asked Senator Toomey to support Senate Bill 42, which would implement universal background checks on all gun sales in the U.S. In particular, group members emphasized the need to cover sales at gun shows and private sales, as well as a maximum waiting period of at least three days for the background check to be completed.