On the Seventh Anniversary of His Arrest… SANAD Calls for the Release of Journalist Zuhair Kutbi

Today, 10 January 2026, marks the seventh anniversary of the arrest of writer and journalist Zuhair Kutbi, who was detained in January 2019 as part of a broad campaign targeting a number of academics and activists. His arrest at the time was accompanied by a violent raid on his home.

In the same context, reports indicate that Zuhair Kutbi suffers from prostate cancer and diabetes, and that his health has severely deteriorated due to ongoing medical neglect in prison. The violations against him did not stop there, as authorities also placed him in solitary confinement for several months.

SANAD Human Rights Organization renews its call on Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Zuhair Kutbi, ensure that he receives adequate medical care, and provide fair compensation for the physical and psychological harm he has suffered as a result of his arbitrary detention. SANAD also calls for the release of all prisoners of conscience and an end to practices that violate individual rights and contravene domestic laws and international human rights conventions.