Eighth Anniversary of the Arrest of Saudi Cartoonist Mohammed Al-Hazzaa
These days mark the eighth anniversary of the arrest of Saudi teacher and cartoonist Mohammed bin Ahmed bin Eid Al-Hazzaa Al-Ghamdi, who was detained by Saudi authorities in February 2018 over his work as a cartoonist for the Qatari newspaper Lusail, despite having stopped working there shortly before his arrest.
According to exclusive documents previously obtained by SANAD Human Rights Organization, Al-Hazzaa’s arrest followed prior security surveillance and culminated in a violent raid while he was at a café in Al-Baha city. Authorities later stormed his home, searched it, and confiscated his devices and drawings, without any legal justification.
According to the indictment, Al-Hazzaa was charged with insulting the Saudi government and rulers, sympathizing with Qatar, communicating with hostile entities, and following opposition accounts on the platform “X.” The prosecution relied on cartoon drawings and tweets attributed to him.
During his trial, Al-Hazzaa denied the charges, stating that most of the drawings cited in the case were unrelated to Saudi affairs and that some were not his work at all. He also denied ever stating that Qatar “did not deserve the boycott,” noting the absence of material evidence supporting the allegations.
Although the court acknowledged, according to the documents obtained by SANAD, that evidence was insufficient to substantiate some of the charges, Al-Hazzaa was initially sentenced to six years in prison and a six-year travel ban. The case was later reopened, and a new sentence of 23 years in prison without the possibility of appeal was issued.
Mohammed Al-Hazzaa is currently serving his sentence in Dhahban Prison amid deteriorating health conditions. He suffers from diabetes and chronic health problems, compounded by medical neglect inside the prison.
SANAD Human Rights Organization calls on the Saudi authorities to overturn the sentence against Mohammed Al-Hazzaa and to release him immediately and unconditionally. Pending his release, his detention conditions must be improved, including the urgent and regular provision of necessary medical care.
