Saudi Authorities Release Sudanese Journalist Ahmed Abdelkader After Three and a Half Years of Detention

Saudi authorities have released Sudanese journalist Ahmed Abdelkader after three and a half years in detention. He was arrested on April 19, 2021, upon arriving at King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah and was held at a Jeddah police station for 20 days before being transferred to Al-Shumaisi Prison near Mecca.

His arrest followed his criticism of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s policies and Saudi interventions in Sudan, which he expressed on Twitter and in media statements.

According to Human Rights Watch, the Jeddah Criminal Court sentenced Abdelkader to four years in prison on June 8, 2021, for tweets and statements about the Sudanese revolution and his criticism of Saudi policy toward Sudan. His trial consisted of only two sessions; the charges were read in the first session, where he was not given a chance to defend himself, and the sentence was issued in the second.

Sanad Human Rights Organization congratulates Sudanese journalist Ahmed Abdelkader and his family on his release after years of arbitrary detention. The organization calls on Saudi authorities to respect freedom of opinion and expression, end all arbitrary rulings, and release all detainees imprisoned for their views and positions.