Death of Dr. Waleed Al-Huwairini Following Release from Saudi Prisons in Critical Health Condition

Sanad Human Rights Organization has received with deep sorrow the news of the death of Dr. Waleed Al-Huwairini, just months after his release from Saudi prisons, where he spent years under arbitrary detention and severe human rights violations.

Dr. Al-Huwairini was arrested by Saudi authorities in September 2017 due to his writings and intellectual views. He was sentenced to five years in prison, a term that officially ended in September 2022. However, his release was delayed for nearly a year and a half, and he was finally released in June 2024 in a critically deteriorated health condition as a result of medical neglect and the harsh conditions of his imprisonment.

Sanad confirms that Dr. Al-Huwairini’s death is part of a disturbing pattern of deaths among prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia, either during their detention or shortly after release. Similar cases include the deaths of journalist Saleh Al-Shehi and Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Zahrani, who passed away under similar circumstances post-release, as well as Sheikh Qasim Al-Qathrdi, who died recently in prison. Other prominent figures such as Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamid and Dr. Musa Al-Qarni also lost their lives due to deliberate medical negligence and inhumane treatment inside Saudi prisons.

While mourning the loss of Dr. Waleed Al-Huwairini, Sanad Human Rights Organization holds the Saudi authorities fully responsible for his death. The organization calls for an independent international investigation into the circumstances surrounding his passing and the broader violations against prisoners of conscience in the Kingdom. Sanad also urges the international community to exert serious pressure on the Saudi authorities to ensure the immediate release of all political prisoners and to guarantee their physical and psychological safety.