Negotiations over disputed territory began in 1995 but are not expected to be resolved in the near future. In May, King Fahd commuted the sentences of two British nurses who were jailed in 1996 and convicted in September 1997 for the murder of an Australian colleague. Both have denied any part in the killing. Following their release, one of the nurses accused the Saudi authorities of obtaining her confession through torture. Political Rights and Civil Liberties Saudi citizens cannot change their government democratically.
Political parties are illegal, the king rules by decree, and there are no elections at any level.
Majlis membership is not representative of the population. The judiciary is not independent of the monarchy. According to Human Rights Watch, at least 22 executions and three amputations of the hand were carried out between January and October 1998. Police routinely torture detainees, particularly Islamic fundamentalists and non-Western foreigners, in order to extract confessions. Defense lawyers are not permitted in the courtroom, and trials are generally closed and conducted without procedural safeguards.