Abdullah Al-Attawi’s Sentence Ends Without Release: Ongoing Violations Against Human Rights Activists in Saudi Arabia

As of September 2024, the prison sentence of human rights activist Abdullah Al-Attawi, who was sentenced to seven years in January 2018 by the Specialized Criminal Court, has officially ended. However, there has been no news of his release or any legal action taken to facilitate it, raising serious concerns about the continued violations against human rights activists in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Attawi was arrested in September 2017 due to his peaceful human rights work and was one of the founders of the Union for Human Rights Association. Since his arrest, he has faced numerous serious violations, including mistreatment in detention, denial of access to legal representation, and restricted communication with his family. He has also suffered from deliberate medical neglect.

Similarly, his colleague and co-founder of the association, human rights activist Mohammed Al-Otaibi, remains in detention since May 2017, enduring similar conditions that highlight the absence of justice and rule of law.

Sanad Human Rights Organization strongly condemns the continued detention of Abdullah Al-Attawi despite the completion of his sentence. The organization calls on Saudi authorities to immediately release him and all detained human rights activists arrested for their peaceful activities. Sanad also urges the international community to exert serious pressure on the Saudi government to ensure respect for human rights and the release of all prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia.