Dr. Awad Al-Qarni: Nearly Eight Years in Solitary Confinement and Facing a Death Sentence Over Tweets

Since his arrest in September 2017, Saudi authorities have continued to hold Dr. Awad Al-Qarni in solitary confinement at Dhahban Prison in Jeddah, with no court sessions held since 2020.

Dr. Al-Qarni, 68 years old, has spent more than seven years in prison, and is one of the most prominent prisoners of conscience at risk of execution, with the Public Prosecution demanding the death penalty based on social media posts.

In a legal opinion issued on 1 September 2023, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) concluded:

That the deprivation of liberty of Dr. Awad Al-Qarni constitutes arbitrary detention in violation of multiple articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 19), and falls under categories I, II, III, and V of arbitrary detention cases.

The Working Group called on the Government of Saudi Arabia to immediately rectify his situation and ensure it is brought into compliance with international standards.

The Group deemed the appropriate remedy to be the immediate release of Dr. Al-Qarni and granting him compensation and reparations in accordance with international law.

It also urged the Saudi government to conduct an independent and thorough investigation into the circumstances of his arrest and to hold those responsible for violating his rights accountable.

Despite this binding UN opinion—which requires the release of Dr. Al-Qarni within six months—Saudi authorities have failed to comply, with more than a year and a half having passed since the decision was issued.