On the Sixth Anniversary of His Arrest, SANAD Calls for the Release of Nubian Activist Abdullah Gomaa Ali

These days mark the sixth anniversary of the arrest of Egyptian Nubian activist Abdullah Gomaa Ali, who has been detained in Saudi Arabia since July 2020 over his involvement in organizing a peaceful cultural event in Riyadh.

Saudi authorities arrested Abdullah on July 14, 2020, after raiding his home, and later charged him with “spreading false rumors,” “establishing an unlicensed association,” and “supporting a terrorist group,” despite the case stemming from a peaceful cultural activity.

In October 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court sentenced him to ten years in prison, before reducing the sentence to seven years in September 2025. He remains in detention to this day.

Following his arrest, Abdullah was subjected to enforced disappearance for two months, denied contact with his family and access to legal counsel, and deprived of adequate legal representation, in violation of fair trial guarantees and international human rights standards.

Abdullah Gomaa Ali is one of ten Egyptian Nubian detainees arrested in July 2020 over the same cultural event. Although some sentences were later reduced, they remain imprisoned despite the peaceful nature of their activities.

SANAD Human Rights Organization calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Abdullah Gomaa Ali and all Egyptian Nubian detainees held in connection with this case, and for justice and redress for the violations they have endured.