After His Sentence Was Reduced to Nine Years: SANAD Calls for the Immediate Release of Nubian Activist Mohamed Fathallah Shater

Saudi authorities continue to detain Nubian activist Mohamed Fathallah Shater, more than five years after his arrest. Shater was detained on July 14, 2020, when agents from the General Intelligence Directorate raided his home, following his participation in organizing a peaceful event to commemorate the 1973 October War between Egypt and Israel.

During his detention, Shater was subjected to severe abuses, including two months of enforced disappearance, denial of contact with his family, and deprivation of legal representation. On October 10, 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court handed down a harsh 18-year prison sentence on charges related to freedom of expression and association, before the sentence was reduced to nine years on September 6, 2025, according to human rights sources.

Shater is one of ten Egyptian detainees of Nubian origin arrested by Saudi authorities in July 2020 for organizing a peaceful cultural event marking the October War anniversary. The Specialized Criminal Court issued harsh sentences ranging between 10 and 18 years, some of which were recently reduced, yet the detainees remain imprisoned despite the entirely peaceful nature of their activities.

SANAD Human Rights Organization expresses its deep concern over the continued detention of Mohamed Fathallah Shater, affirming that his arrest stems solely from his peaceful exercise of freedom of expression and community participation. SANAD calls for his immediate and unconditional release, along with all Nubian activists detained in Saudi Arabia for their peaceful cultural activities, and urges that they be granted their full legal and human rights.