SANAD Human Rights Organization Calls for Disclosure of the Whereabouts of Saudi Student Mohammed Matar Al-Shalwi, Missing Since His Return to Saudi Arabia in April 2023

In July 2023, the Daily Mail published a video of Saudi scholarship student Mohammed Matar Al-Shalwi, who was studying at James Cook University in Australia, expressing fears that he would be arrested if he returned to Saudi Arabia. In the recording, he said:

“If you are watching this video, it means I was arrested two or three months ago on charges related to freedom of expression.”

According to the Daily Mail, Al-Shalwi returned to Saudi Arabia in April 2023, and has not been seen or heard from since. His whereabouts and condition remain unknown, and no information has been released about his detention or location, reflecting the lack of transparency that typically characterizes Saudi authorities’ handling of arrest cases.

The Daily Mail also reported that before returning, Al-Shalwi had told friends he was puzzled by his family’s sudden insistence that he return, suspecting that the request came from Saudi security authorities. Close sources further stated that he lost contact with his brother in February 2023, after the latter was arrested over private conversations between them in which they had discussed opinions about the situation in Saudi Arabia.

It is noteworthy that Mohammed Matar Al-Shalwi had been studying in Townsville, Australia, since 2019, and graduated in December 2022 from James Cook University with a degree in Geology.

For its part, the SANAD Human Rights Organization renews its call on the Saudi authorities to immediately disclose the fate of student Mohammed Matar Al-Shalwi, ensure his safety, and release him unconditionally. The organization stresses that his continued disappearance constitutes a blatant violation of human rights and of both domestic and international laws that prohibit enforced disappearance.