Saudi Authorities Continue Detaining Dr. Qasim Al-Qathardi Over Peaceful Intellectual Activities Without Legal Basis
Saudi authorities continue to detain Dr. Qasim bin Ahmad Al-Qathardi, a retired professor from King Khalid University in Abha, since July 8, 2021, over his participation in a licensed intellectual gathering and his possession of two books: “So That There May Be No Sedition” by former minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi and “Existentialism,” a book commonly studied in university courses on creed and modern ideologies in Saudi Arabia.
The Public Prosecution has charged him with “supporting terrorist ideology,” “concealing those who support it,” and “seeking to disrupt public order and destabilize state security.” His possession of the two books was used as alleged evidence of “harming national unity and the social fabric.” The prosecution demanded the maximum penalty under Articles 55 and 34 of the Anti-Terrorism Law, along with confiscation of the books and a travel ban after serving his sentence.
During trial sessions, Dr. Al-Qathardi denied all charges, explaining that the gathering in question was authorized and predated the Anti-Terrorism Law. He also argued that the books were available in public libraries and their sale was not prohibited. He stressed that possessing a book does not mean endorsing the author’s views—especially when one of the authors is a former senior government official.
Despite submitting a request for temporary release due to his advanced age and responsibility for a large family, and expressing willingness to pay court-determined bail, the judge rejected the request. The Specialized Criminal Court later sentenced him to eight years in prison, followed by eight years of travel ban.
Sanad Human Rights Organization condemns Dr. Al-Qathardi’s continued detention as a blatant violation of freedom of expression and the right to thought and reading, and calls on Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him, and to drop all charges related to peaceful, intellectual activities.
