Dr. Omar Al-Muqbil enters his seventh year in Saudi prisons despite completing his sentence

Saudi Islamic scholar and academic Dr. Omar Al-Muqbil has now entered his seventh year behind bars, as Saudi authorities continue to detain him despite the expiration of his sentence in March 2024.

He was arrested in September 2019 after criticizing the Entertainment Authority. The Specialized Criminal Court sentenced him to six months, but the Supreme Court in Riyadh later increased the sentence to four years.

Although his sentence ended over a year and a half ago, Dr. Al-Muqbil remains arbitrarily detained — a blatant violation of both domestic law and international human rights standards guaranteeing freedom of opinion and expression.

Sanad Human Rights Organization affirms that his ongoing detention reflects the systematic repression of scholars, academics, and voices of dissent in Saudi Arabia, and exposes the absence of fair trial guarantees.

Sanad calls on the international community and human rights organizations to pressure Saudi authorities to release Dr. Al-Muqbil immediately and unconditionally, and to end the policy of silencing dissent and suppressing free expression.