Continued Detention of Reciter Abdulmajid Al-Arkani

The Saudi authorities continue to detain reciter Abdulmajid Al-Arkani since 2020, serving a 10-year prison sentence.

Reciter Abdulmajid Al-Arkani was arrested on charges of communicating with Turkish politician Yasin Aktay following the Muslim World League conference in Saudi Arabia, where Al-Arkani recited verses from the Quran and gained Aktay’s admiration, leading to an exchange of contact information. The Saudi authorities considered this communication a chargeable offense, warranting Al-Arkani’s arrest, while Al-Arkani insisted that his interaction with Aktay was limited to exchanging Eid greetings after the conference.

In the notorious Shaar prison, Al-Arkani was subjected to severe beating and prolonged solitary confinement. He also faced a trial that lacked the most basic standards of justice. SANAD Organisation for Human Rights calls on the Saudi authorities to overturn the verdict against Al-Arkani, to release him immediately without any conditions, and to provide him with necessary compensation.