The Fifth Anniversary of the Arrest of Abdulnasir Al-Huwaiti — Brother of Abdulrahim Al-Huwaiti, Killed in His Home During the Forced Displacement Campaign
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the arrest of Abdulnasir Abu Taqiyyah Al-Huwaiti, a prominent figure from the Al-Huwaitat tribe, who was detained by Saudi authorities on October 18, 2020, over his opposition to the forced displacement policies imposed on his tribe as part of the NEOM megaproject.
Abdulnasir’s arrest came just days after the detention of his son, Ahmad Al-Huwaiti, who was arrested inside the campus of Prince Fahd Bin Sultan University after the facility was surrounded by Saudi intelligence forces. His arrest was also preceded by the killing of his brother, Abdulrahim Al-Huwaiti, who was shot dead by State Security forces after refusing to vacate his home by force.
According to information documented by human rights organizations, Abdulnasir was arrested by emergency and intelligence forces while on his way to Duba Hospital, and was later transferred to the intelligence headquarters in Tabuk, where he was held for a month before being moved to Dhahban Prison in Jeddah. During his detention, he was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture and spent four months in solitary confinement, as authorities attempted to coerce him into confessing to fabricated charges, including “inciting public opinion” and “terrorism.”
After nine months of detention, his trial began before the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) in Riyadh, which issued an arbitrary 27-year prison sentence against him — one of several harsh rulings handed down against members of the Al-Huwaitat tribe, including his son Ahmad Al-Huwaiti, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
SANAD Human Rights Organization renews its call on the Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Abdulnasir Al-Huwaiti, his son Ahmad, and all detainees from the Al-Huwaitat tribe, to fairly compensate them for the grave harm they have suffered, and to release all prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia.
