Arrested on University Campus… Ahmed Abdul Nasser Al-Huwaiti Completes Six Years Behind Bars

For six years, Ahmed Abdul Nasser Al-Huwaiti has remained behind bars after Saudi authorities arrested him on October 1, 2020, when he was 19 years old, reportedly for opposing the forced displacement of his family and members of the Huwaitat tribe from their lands.

Ahmed was arrested while at Prince Fahd bin Sultan University in Tabuk, after General Investigation Directorate forces surrounded the university building and took him into custody from inside, in what marked another reported violation involving Saudi authorities and educational institutions.

In September 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court sentenced him to 20 years in prison, as part of lengthy sentences imposed on several members of his family. His father, Abdul Nasser Al-Huwaiti, was sentenced to 27 years, while his uncle Mahmoud Al-Huwaiti received a 35-year prison sentence.

Ahmed Al-Huwaiti is the nephew of Abdul Rahim Al-Huwaiti, who was killed by Saudi authorities inside his home during the forced displacement of members of the Huwaitat tribe from their lands.

Sanad Human Rights Organization states that the continued detention of Ahmed and members of his family constitutes a violation of their fundamental rights. It renews its call for their immediate and unconditional release, along with compensation for the harm they have suffered as a result of their detention and the sentences imposed against them.