Dr. Ibrahim Al-Faris Enters His Ninth Year in Prison Despite Completing His Sentence

Dr. Ibrahim Al-Faris has now spent eight full years behind bars since his arbitrary arrest on 11 September 2017, entering his ninth year in detention despite the fact that his sentence officially ended in September 2023.

In September 2020, the Specialized Criminal Court sentenced Al-Faris to three years in prison, after he had already been held for more than three years without any legal basis. Upon completion of his sentence, he should have been released immediately and unconditionally. However, Saudi authorities continue to hold him arbitrarily to this day.

At 68 years old, Dr. Al-Faris is among the elderly prisoners of conscience enduring harsh prison conditions in Saudi Arabia, under a policy of systematic medical neglect that has claimed the lives of several detainees — including Dr. Qasim Al-Qathrdi, who died in prison a few months ago.

SANAD Human Rights Organization affirms that the continued detention of Dr. Ibrahim Al-Faris after the expiry of his sentence constitutes a compounded crime. SANAD holds Saudi authorities fully responsible for his physical and psychological safety, and once again calls for his immediate and unconditional release, along with all prisoners of conscience. The organization also urges the authorities to respect their legal and humanitarian obligations.