Seven Years Since the Arrest of Osama Sahli Over Tweets… SANAD Calls for His Release

These days mark the seventh anniversary of the arrest of writer and journalist Osama Sahli, who was detained in January 2019 over tweets in which he expressed his views. Suhail continues to serve an arbitrary eight-year prison sentence.

During his detention, Suhail has been subjected to a series of violations by prison authorities, including restrictions on communication with his family, denial of adequate medical care, as well as an arbitrary conviction and an unfair trial.

The main charges against him are based on tweets that do not meet the legal threshold for criminal conviction, yet the public prosecution classified them as “incitement to terrorism and attempts to undermine state security”—a pattern repeatedly used against prisoners of conscience. This approach has even led Saudi authorities to carry out executions over tweets, as in the case of journalist Turki Al-Jasser.

SANAD Human Rights Organization renews its rejection of Osama Sahli’s continued detention and calls on Saudi authorities to release him immediately, ensure his full legal and human rights, including his right to freedom of expression and communication with his family, and to halt all violations he continues to face in prison.