1220 Days of Detention: Journalist Ahmed Abdelkader Pays the Price for His Words

It has been 1220 days since the Sudanese journalist Ahmed Abdelkader was arrested on April 19, 2021. Upon his arrival at King Abdulaziz Airport, the authorities detained him at a police station in Jeddah for 20 days before transferring him to Al-Shumaisi Prison near Mecca.

His arrest came as a result of his criticism of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his interventions in Sudanese affairs, which he expressed on his personal Twitter account, in addition to statements he made to various media outlets.

Human Rights Watch reported that on June 8, 2021, the Jeddah Criminal Court sentenced the Sudanese journalist and media professional Ahmed Abdelkader to four years in prison due to tweets and statements in which he discussed the Sudanese revolution and criticized Saudi policies in Sudan. Ahmed Abdelkader’s trial consisted of only two brief sessions, during which the charges were read to him in the first session, and he was denied the opportunity to defend himself. In the second session, the judge immediately announced the verdict.

The Saudi authorities must release Sudanese journalist Ahmed Abdelkader immediately and unconditionally and compensate him for the damages he suffered as a result of his arbitrary detention.