Third Anniversary of Dr. Abdullah Al-Yahya’s Arrest: Continued Arbitrary Detention Without Legal Justification

These days mark the third anniversary of the arrest of prominent Saudi academic Dr. Abdullah Al-Yahya, who was detained on December 24, 2021, without any formal charges or legal justification. His arrest followed tweets on the “X” platform (formerly Twitter), in which he expressed his opposition to normalization with Israel—a stance that led Saudi authorities to detain numerous activists and academics, including Maha Al-Rafidi and Dawood Al-Ali.

Born in the city of Buraidah in 1952, Dr. Abdullah Al-Yahya holds master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan, and is well-regarded for his academic contributions. Despite his distinguished scholarly career, he remains imprisoned under arbitrary conditions, raising serious concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Saudi Arabia.

Sanad Organization for Human Rights calls on Saudi authorities to immediately release Dr. Abdullah Al-Yahya and all prisoners of conscience detained for peacefully expressing their opinions. The organization emphasizes the importance of respecting fundamental rights and ensuring freedom of expression for all citizens, free from any form of repression or restriction.