The Saudi authorities have increased the sentence of Dr. Khaled Al-Odah

The Saudi government acknowledged in its response to WGAD that it has increased the sentence of Dr. Khaled Al-Odah from 5 years to 8 years.

Dr. Khaled Al-Odah was arrested by the Saudi authorities in September 2017 after he announced in a tweet the arrest of his brother, Dr. Salman Al-Odah. He was sentenced on November 17, 2020, after nearly four years of pre-trial detention, to five years in prison followed by a five-year travel ban. However, before the end of his scheduled sentence in July 2022, his sentence was increased by the Court of Appeal to 8 years.

It is noteworthy that WGAD had issued in September 2023 an opinion regarding the detention of Dr. Khaled Al-Odah and Dr. Salman Al-Odah, concluding that their detention is arbitrary and constitutes a violation of international human rights.