After 8 years of arbitrary detention, only three months remain until the end of Dr. Adel Banaamah’s sentence.

After 8 years of arbitrary detention, only three months remain until the end of Dr. Adel Banaamah’s sentence. Dr. Banaamah was arbitrarily arrested on September 12, 2017, when Saudi authorities raided his home in Mecca at midnight, confiscated his electronic devices, and seized many of his books and research materials.

A thinker, poet, and academic, Dr. Banaamah served on the faculty of the Arabic Language College at Umm Al-Qura University, where he earned his PhD with honors. He also worked in television broadcasting and cultural programming, contributed to several local newspapers, and served on the board of Jeddah’s Literary Club.

Since his arrest, he has been subjected to prolonged solitary confinement, denial of family contact, denial of legal representation, and intimidation of his family during the arrest raid. He was also dismissed from his academic position and has suffered from medical neglect, despite chronic digestive health issues.

Sanad Human Rights Organization affirms that Dr. Banaamah’s continued detention is a blatant violation of his legal and human rights. The organization calls on Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Dr. Banaamah and all prisoners of conscience and to end the ongoing campaign of repression against citizens and residents in the country.