Two Years After His Arrest, Ahmed Al-Doush Remains Detained in Saudi Arabia
Today, 31 August 2026, marks the second anniversary of the arrest of British national Ahmed Al-Doush in Saudi Arabia. He was detained at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on 31 August 2024 while returning to the UK after visiting Saudi Arabia with his wife and children.
Following his arrest, Al-Doush had no contact with his family for nearly two and a half months. He was first allowed to call his wife on 17 November 2024. His contact with his family has since remained limited, while he continues to be detained at Al-Ha’ir Prison in Riyadh.
His trial before the Specialized Criminal Court began in January 2025, around five months after his arrest. According to his family and legal team, the case was linked to old social media posts, as well as an alleged connection with the son of a Saudi dissident living in the UK.
On 12 May 2025, the Specialized Criminal Court sentenced Al-Doush to 10 years in prison. The sentence was reduced on appeal to eight years in June 2025, before a final ruling in April 2026 reduced it to five years.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Ahmed Ali Al-Doush’s deprivation of liberty violated Articles 9, 10, 11, 18, 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and fell within Categories I, II and III of arbitrary detention.
The Working Group called on Saudi authorities to release Al-Doush and recommended that he be granted an enforceable right to compensation and other forms of reparation in accordance with international law. Despite the UN decision, he remains detained and is serving a five-year prison sentence.
During his detention, his wife, Amhar Noor, gave birth to their fourth child, while restrictions on his communication with his family continued. According to Amnesty International, his family and UK-based lawyer have also not received copies of key case documents, including the indictment and trial and appeal judgments.
As Ahmed Al-Doush completes two years in detention and enters his third year behind bars, SANAD Human Rights Organization renews its call on Saudi authorities to implement the UN Working Group’s decision, release him immediately and unconditionally, and provide appropriate compensation for the violations he has endured.
