On the Second Anniversary of His Arrest: Asaad Al-Ghamdi Faces Unjust Sentences and Deteriorating Health

This week marks the second anniversary of the arrest of Saudi teacher Asaad bin Nasser Al-Ghamdi on November 20, 2022. He was detained over tweets he posted on the platform X (formerly Twitter) that criticized Vision 2030 projects and the lack of development in the city of Jeddah, as well as his prayer for the late reformist Abdullah Al-Hamid. This serves as a clear example of Saudi Arabia’s policy of suppressing freedom of expression and silencing dissenting opinions.

Over the past two years, Al-Ghamdi has faced a series of trials described by the human rights organization Sanad as lacking fairness and transparency. These culminated in a recent Court of Appeals decision reducing his prison sentence from 20 years to 15 years. Sanad views this as evidence of Saudi authorities’ exploitation of the judicial system as a tool to oppress activists and dissidents.

In addition to the unjust sentence, sources close to Al-Ghamdi informed Sanad that he suffered a shoulder dislocation, which required surgery, highlighting the significant deterioration in his health while in detention. Al-Ghamdi is also enduring deliberate medical negligence, having been denied necessary healthcare, further exacerbating his physical and psychological suffering.

Since his arrest, Al-Ghamdi has been subjected to multiple violations, including physical and psychological torture, prolonged solitary confinement, and denial of contact with his family.

Sanad emphasizes that Al-Ghamdi’s case is not isolated but part of a broader crackdown targeting prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia, including activists, teachers, writers, and journalists who express their opinions peacefully. The organization stresses that these ongoing violations constitute a grave breach of international treaties guaranteeing freedom of expression and human rights.

Sanad calls on Saudi authorities to annul the unjust sentence against Asaad Al-Ghamdi and immediately release him. The organization also demands that he receive the necessary medical care and that his physical and mental well-being be safeguarded. Moreover, Sanad urges the Saudi government to end the suffering of all prisoners of conscience and adhere to its human rights commitments to the international community.