On the Ninth Anniversary of His Arrest, Dr. Salman Al-Odah Enters His Tenth Year Behind Bars
September 2026 marks the ninth anniversary of the arrest of Dr. Salman Al-Odah, who was detained by Saudi authorities in September 2017. He has now completed nine years behind bars in solitary confinement and entered his tenth year in detention.
Al-Odah was arrested over a tweet calling for reconciliation and an end to the Gulf crisis at the time. His arrest marked the beginning of years of detention during which he was subjected to solitary confinement, shackling of his hands and feet, and denial of contact with his family. He was also tried in secret and denied access to a lawyer, while the Public Prosecution continues to seek the death penalty against him.
On 1 September 2023, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued Opinion No. 56/2023 concerning Dr. Salman Al-Odah’s case, concluding that his deprivation of liberty was arbitrary and violated several rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Working Group classified Dr. Salman Al-Odah’s detention under Categories I, II, III, and V of arbitrary detention and found that it contravened Articles 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18, and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In May 2025, Saudi authorities prevented UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Dr. Claudia Mahler, from meeting Dr. Salman Al-Odah at Al-Ha’ir Prison in Riyadh.
In the same context, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities confirmed that Saudi authorities had failed to implement its recommendations concerning Dr. Salman Al-Odah’s case, noting the absence of concrete measures to address previously documented violations.
The Committee had previously documented violations in Al-Odah’s case, including incommunicado detention, denial of adequate healthcare, failure to ensure a fair trial and appropriate legal representation, and failure to provide reasonable accommodations in light of his health condition. The Committee closed its follow-up procedure and classified the case under Category (C), indicating that its recommendations had not been implemented.
Dr. Salman Al-Odah suffers from worsening health conditions and severe visual impairment that has left him nearly blind in one eye, while his detention continues nine years after his arrest.
On the ninth anniversary of his arrest, SANAD Human Rights Organization renews its call for the immediate release of Dr. Salman Al-Odah, the protection of his fundamental rights, and appropriate compensation.
