Saadallah Al-Hawali Enters His Eighth Year in Saudi Prisons

Saadallah Al-Hawali recently entered his eighth year behind Saudi prison bars, after being arrested in July 2018 solely for being the brother of detained thinker Dr. Safar Al-Hawali, who was arrested at the time over a draft book containing criticism of government policies.

On the day of his arrest, a masked security force surrounded and stormed his home, terrorizing Al-Hawali and his family before taking him to an undisclosed location. He was denied contact with his family or access to a lawyer. During detention, he faced severe violations including enforced disappearance and a secret trial that lacked basic standards of justice, ending with a four-year prison sentence, later doubled by the Court of Appeal to 14 years.

Sanad Human Rights Organization strongly condemns Al-Hawali’s continued detention, stressing that what he has endured is a stark example of collective punishment and human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. Sanad calls for his immediate and unconditional release and the annulment of the unjust sentence against him.