Retrial of D. Mohammed Fahd Al-Qahtani

Maha Al-Qahtani said (the wife of the prisoner of conscience, the human rights defender and co-founder of the Association for Civil and Political Rights (HASM) Dr. Mohammed Fahad Al-Qahtani): she has received the information that her husband Dr. Al-Qahtani by setting Tuesday 2 May 2023 at 8 a.m. for a hearing in the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC), despite the expiration of his 10-year sentence in November 2022,

Maha Al-Qahtani asked “who is responsible for the failure in the judiciary”, since he was supposed to be released and not retried.

For her part, United Nations expert and United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor said she was horrified by the Saudi Government’s cruelty to Dr. Mohammed Al-Qahtani is calling for his immediate release. In the same vein, the news of Al-Qahtani’s retrial has been widely condemned by international human rights organizations.

Mohammed Al-Qahtani was arbitrarily arrested in March 2012, and on March 9, 2013, the Riyadh Assize Court sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment, followed by an equal-duration travel ban against the backdrop of his peaceful rights activity.

However, shortly before the expiration of his sentence, the Saudi authorities forcibly concealed him and ignored his family’s inquiries.

Sanad Organization condemns the retrial of Mohammed Fahd Al-Qahtani by the Saudi authorities and calls for his immediate and unconditional release. It also calls on rights organizations and the international community to carry out their duties and pressure the Saudi Government to release him.