Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act of 2023

HR 5833, the Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act of 2023, restricts U.S. military sales to Saudi Arabia’s intelligence, security, and law enforcement agencies for three years. It prohibits defense exports during 120-day periods unless the President certifies Saudi Arabia has not engaged in forced repatriation, intimidation, or killing of dissidents abroad, unjust imprisonment of U.S. residents, or torture. The bill also mandates reports on Saudi harassment of dissidents in the U.S., including whether Saudi diplomats used diplomatic facilities to monitor or harm Saudi nationals living in America, and requires an intelligence report on whether U.S. agencies fulfilled their duty to warn Jamal Khashoggi about threats before his 2018 murder. These provisions sunset after three years, with limited exceptions for defense against external threats or U.S. personnel security.