Shadli Al-Howaiti — Brother of the Late Abdulrahim Al-Howaiti — Faces Imminent Risk of Execution

Saudi authorities continue to uphold the death sentence against Shadli Ahmed Mahmoud Al-Howaiti, who has been detained since November 2020 for his opposition to the forced displacement of the Howaitat tribe as part of the NEOM project. The persistence of this sentence raises mounting fears that it may be carried out at any moment, especially given the sharp rise in executions in Saudi Arabia in recent years.

The Specialized Criminal Court issued the death sentence in October 2022, and on 23 January 2023, the Specialized Criminal Court of Appeals upheld the ruling. The trial was marred by serious violations, with no fair trial guarantees in place.

Shadli Al-Howaiti is the brother of Abdulrahim Al-Howaiti, who was killed in his home in 2020 after refusing to abandon his land. Inside prison, Shadli has endured multiple forms of torture and ill-treatment, including electric shocks, beatings, sleep deprivation, and solitary confinement, pushing him to undertake several hunger strikes in protest of the harsh conditions.

SANAD Human Rights Organization warns of the grave danger of maintaining this death sentence, stressing that upholding it constitutes a blatant violation of international law and leaves his life in imminent danger—particularly as his case is part of a broader pattern of abuses targeting Howaitat tribespeople who reject forced displacement.

SANAD renews its call on Saudi authorities to immediately overturn the death sentence and release Shadli Al-Howaiti unconditionally. The organization also urges the international community to take swift action to protect him and to halt the ongoing violations committed against members of the Howaitat tribe.