The rights group made the call in a report titled “Dissident Voices Stifled in the Eastern Province,” which was released on Monday, AFP reported.
Amnesty said hundreds of people, including children, had been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia since March 2011.
The London-based rights group went on to say that, though, “many of those arrested have been released, some continue to be detained, mostly without charge or trial and apparently solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression.”
Saudi Arabia’s east has been the scene of anti-government protests since February 2011, with demonstrators demanding respect for human rights, implementation of reforms, realization of freedom of expression, and release of political prisoners.
Anti-government protesters in the kingdom also want an end to economic and religious discrimination and the termination of the government’s involvement in brutal crackdown on anti-regime protests in neighboring Bahrain.
The human rights group also accused Riyadh of “torture or other ill-treatment” of prisoners and said public- and private-sector employees “who choose to exercise their rights to freedom of expression… risk losing their jobs.”
Saudi authorities have “blocked several websites operating from the Eastern province,” according to the report, apparently for “posting news about demonstrations and other activities opposed to government policies.”
Amnesty said it was concerned about the “use of force” by security forces in their clampdown on Shia protests, adding that since November 21, “seven men have died and a number of others injured after being shot while protesting”.
Saudi authorities have said the deaths were the result of clashes between police and armed individuals.
The report said the measures taken by Saudi authorities amount to a “pattern of widespread human rights violations” against residents of the province.
Oil-rich Eastern province is home to some two millions Saudi Shias who for decades have complained of marginalization by the Sunni monarchy.
On May 16, Amnesty submitted a “memorandum” to the Saudi government citing the alleged violations and concerns raised in the report but said it has so far “not received a response.”
