Saudi journalist Sami Al-Thubaity enters his ninth year in prison over a tweet

Saudi journalist Sami Al-Thubaity has entered his ninth year behind bars since his arrest on 13 September 2017 for a tweet calling for unity and reconciliation during the Gulf crisis.

Since his arrest, Al-Thubaity has faced severe violations, including enforced disappearance and denial of a fair trial — in clear breach of international conventions that guarantee freedom of expression and the right to due process.

SANAD Human Rights Organization stresses that Al-Thubaity’s continued detention represents a blatant violation of press freedom and reflects a systematic policy of targeting journalists and prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia.

SANAD calls for the immediate and unconditional release of journalist Sami Al-Thubaity and all prisoners of conscience, and for holding accountable those responsible for the violations against them.