Release of Islamic Thinker Ibrahim Al-Sakran After Years of Arbitrary Detention

SANAD Human Rights Organization has learned that Saudi authorities have recently released renowned Islamic thinker and researcher Ibrahim Al-Sakran, after years of arbitrary detention that began in June 2016, due to tweets in which he expressed critical views of certain government policies.

The Specialized Criminal Court—known for its politically motivated rulings—had sentenced Al-Sakran to five years in prison on fabricated charges such as “undermining national security” and “destabilizing social stability.” These are the same vague accusations commonly leveled by Saudi authorities against intellectuals and dissidents who deviate from the official state narrative. Although Al-Sakran was released in May 2020, he was re-arrested less than a month later without any clear charges or a new trial, and remained in custody until this most recent release.

According to information received by SANAD, Ibrahim Al-Sakran remains under strict restrictions, including a travel ban, prohibition from media appearances, and a ban on publishing. These restrictions mean his release is incomplete and represent a form of undeclared repression. SANAD affirms that such constraints are a clear violation of his basic rights, particularly freedom of expression and movement, stripping the release of its legal and humanitarian value.

While SANAD congratulates Ibrahim Al-Sakran’s family and supporters at home and abroad, it emphasizes that his suffering has not ended. As long as arbitrary restrictions continue to limit his ability to engage in intellectual and public life, freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia remains dangerously constrained. This ongoing surveillance and exclusion serve as a stark reminder that even released prisoners of conscience are not truly free.

SANAD seizes this occasion to renew its call on Saudi authorities to immediately lift all restrictions imposed on Ibrahim Al-Sakran and to restore his full rights as a peaceful thinker who committed no crime other than expressing his opinion. The case of Al-Sakran is just one among dozens of similar cases involving prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia who remain imprisoned or under restrictive conditions for their beliefs or social media posts that do not warrant any legitimate criminal prosecution.

SANAD also reiterates the urgent need to release all prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia and to end the policy of silencing free voices, which runs counter to the principles of justice and human rights. The continued imprisonment—or concealed surveillance—of these individuals remains a legal and moral stain that cannot be justified under any circumstances.