“Congress must act to ensure that U.S. policy can’t be undone with a simple handshake. It can start by passing legislation like the Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act, which would prohibit arms sales if the kingdom doesn’t meet basic human rights requirements. Coupling concrete human rights requirements with consequences would go a long way toward resetting the relationship in a way that affirms U.S. priorities.”

“There’s been a global campaign by the Saudi government to say things are changing and the country is reforming, but that’s just not true. In fact, it’s the opposite of what we’ve seen on the ground.”

“This is a new shift that is a consequence, a direct consequence, of the international community kind of brushing aside horrible human rights violations.”

“The reality is that for Saudi Arabia, nothing would be as groundbreaking, sustainable or futuristic for the country as basic dignity and human rights for people under its jurisdiction.”

“Three dual U.S.-Saudi citizens — Walid al-Fitaihi, Salah al-Haidar and Bader al-Ibrahim — have been arrested and detained on trumped-up charges at different times since MBS launched a crackdown on domestic opponents in November 2017. Though eventually released from jail, in part because of U.S. pressure, they remain under official suspicion and forbidden to leave the country, according to the Freedom Initiative, a U.S.-based nonprofit that monitors human rights in the Middle East.”