Since September 2017, Saudi Arabia Continues to Detain Human Rights Lawyer Abdulaziz Al-Shubaily for His Activism

Since September 2017, Saudi authorities have continued to detain lawyer and human rights activist Abdulaziz Al-Shubaily because of his peaceful activism, his defense of prisoners of conscience, and his membership in the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (hasam).

This is Al-Shubaily’s second arrest, as he was previously detained in 2014 due to his peaceful advocacy for rights. He was released in 2016, only to be re-arrested in 2017 following an eight-year prison sentence handed down against him. In addition to the prison term, Al-Shubaily was also sentenced to an eight-year travel ban and a ban on using social media.

The charges against him were all related to his exercise of freedom of expression, including “inciting public disorder,” “insulting the judiciary,” and “joining an unlicensed organization.” The Specialized Criminal Court of Appeal upheld this sentence in August 2017.

Sanad Human Rights Organization calls on Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Abdulaziz Al-Shubaily and all prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia, and to end the systematic violations of human rights.