Continued Detention of Writer Abdullah Al-Malki Despite Completion of His Sentence: A New Violation of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia

By September 2024, writer Abdullah Al-Malki completed his seven-year sentence, which began with his arrest in September 2017 as part of a wide-scale crackdown targeting many activists, human rights defenders, and intellectuals. Al-Malki was arrested due to his support for members of the “Hasm” Association and his public stance against normalization.

In September 2020, the Specialized Criminal Court sentenced him to seven years in prison, accusing him of inciting public opinion for defending members of the “Hasm” Association. He was also charged with possessing unauthorized books. Despite the completion of his sentence, Saudi authorities have not released him yet.

Abdullah Al-Malki is known as a prominent reformist writer, having contributed significant ideas on cultural, political, and social reform. He played an important role in opposing racism, repression, and intellectual extremism, and continuously voiced his opposition to arbitrary arrests.

SANAD Human Rights Organization calls for the immediate and unconditional release of writer and blogger Abdullah Al-Malki, along with all prisoners of conscience, emphasizing the necessity to respect human rights and ensure freedom of expression without restrictions or conditions.