Fourth Anniversary of Dr. Mohammed Al-Hazmi’s Arrest

Today, July 7, 2025, marks four years since the arrest of Dr. Mohammed Al-Hazmi, professor of Arabic at King Khalid University, who remains in arbitrary detention in Saudi prisons since 2021, over his participation in a licensed seminar held years prior.

Dr. Al-Hazmi was arrested as part of the Abha Crackdown, which targeted five prominent figures from the region. His detention was linked to his attendance at a licensed cultural seminar in 2013 hosted at the home of Dr. Awad Al-Qarni, in addition to tweets allegedly attributed to him—which he denied—and a Friday sermon that had been officially closed years earlier with a formal pledge, despite falling under protected freedom of expression.

The Public Prosecution charged him with vague accusations, including “supporting a banned group” and “destabilizing national security.” He was also accused of possessing a “prohibited book,” which he clarified he had owned for decades before it was ever banned. Based on these charges, prosecutors demanded maximum penalties, including a lengthy prison term, travel ban, and the permanent closure of his account on platform X (formerly Twitter).

In his defense, Dr. Al-Hazmi explained that some of the alleged actions predated the counterterrorism law, making its application a violation of the legal principle of non-retroactivity. He also noted that the Friday sermon had already been settled legally, and that the night raid and humiliating manner of his arrest violated Saudi law, which prohibits night searches except in extreme necessity—which clearly did not apply to his case.

Despite lack of credible evidence and his deteriorating health due to age, the Specialized Criminal Court sentenced him to 23 years in prison, along with a 23-year travel ban and the permanent suspension of his X account.

SANAD Human Rights Organization strongly condemns the continued detention of Dr. Mohammed Al-Hazmi, affirming that his case is part of a broader campaign targeting academics and intellectuals in Saudi Arabia. SANAD demands his immediate and unconditional release, the dropping of all charges, and full compensation for the severe harm suffered by him and his family due to this unjust imprisonment.