The Ongoing Detention of Abdulrahim Al-Hawali for Over 2,400 Days: A Grave Human Rights Violation

Abdulrahim Al-Hawali has now spent over 2,400 days in detention since his arrest in July 2018, without any legal justification—his only “offense” being the son of Dr. Safar Al-Hawali, who was also arrested that same year.

The wave of arbitrary arrests did not stop at Abdulrahim and his father; it also targeted his brothers Abdullah and Abdulrahman, as well as his uncle Saadallah Al-Hawali and his father’s office manager, Ismail Al-Hassan—all of whom remain in arbitrary detention to this day.

During his imprisonment, Abdulrahim has endured severe violations, including enforced disappearance, physical torture, and sleep deprivation for months, in a blatant violation of international human rights standards.

In February 2020, he was subjected to a secret trial before the Specialized Criminal Court, which sentenced him to six years in prison. However, on appeal, his sentence was harshly increased to 15 years, reflecting the authorities’ escalating repression against prisoners of conscience.

Sanad Human Rights Organization strongly condemns the continued detention of Abdulrahim Al-Hawali and his family. These violations are part of a broader pattern of targeting activists, intellectuals, and their families without fair trials. Sanad calls for their immediate and unconditional release, the revocation of all unjust sentences, and accountability for those responsible for these abuses.