On the Eighth Anniversary of His Arrest, Abdulrahman Al-Hawali Remains Behind Bars

These days mark the eighth anniversary of the arrest of Abdulrahman Safar Al-Hawali, who was detained by the Saudi authorities in July 2018 as part of a campaign targeting Dr. Safar Al-Hawali and his family over a draft book expressing his views on the situation in the Kingdom.

According to SANAD Human Rights Organization, Abdulrahman was subjected to a series of violations during his detention, including enforced disappearance, physical torture, sleep deprivation during the first months of his detention, and denial of visits with his children. He was also tried in proceedings that fell short of fair trial standards, initially receiving a seven-year prison sentence before it was arbitrarily increased to 17 years on appeal.

The targeting extends beyond Abdulrahman. His father, along with his brothers Abdullah and Abdulrahim Al-Hawali, remains detained from the same campaign, as does his uncle Saadallah Al-Hawali, reflecting a continued policy of targeting the families of dissidents and intellectuals through collective punishment, in violation of international human rights law.

SANAD calls on the Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Abdulrahman Al-Hawali and all detained members of his family, end the policy of targeting detainees’ families, and hold those responsible for these violations accountable.