Saudi Authorities Continue the Arbitrary Detention of Citizen Fares Al-Dalilah Since June 2023
Saudi authorities have continued to arbitrarily detain Fares Ali Nasser Al-Dalilah (41), a former legal and military adviser in the Saudi army, since June 2023. He is currently held at Dhahban Prison in Jeddah, with no sufficient information disclosed regarding the conditions of his detention or the charges against him, and with no confirmation that he has been brought before any judicial authority to date.
According to his wife, who lives abroad with their daughter, Fares was subjected to enforced disappearance following his arrest. His family received no information about his fate for a prolonged period, before learning of his detention through a phone call with his older brother. The family also reports that he has not been allowed to appoint a lawyer, and there is no official confirmation that his case has been referred to a court.
Despite his wife’s repeated attempts over eight months to contact him, all requests were repeatedly denied by prison authorities without any legal justification. Their daughter also tried to reach Dhahban Prison officials and appealed to be allowed to speak with her father, but all attempts failed. The family was met with what they described as unreasonable conditions, including requiring the wife to appear in person at the prison to arrange calls, despite residing outside the country.
Sources at SANAD Human Rights Organization indicate that the wife’s repeated inquiries about her husband’s fate were met with explicit warnings from relevant authorities that continuing to ask about him “could subject her to accountability.” This constitutes a serious violation of the rights of detainees’ families to know the whereabouts and conditions of their loved ones. In a related development, a Dhahban Prison employee reportedly stated that the prison administration is not responsible for organizing communications, referring the family’s requests to the Presidency of State Security.
Available information suggests that Fares Al-Dalilah’s arrest is likely linked to tweets he posted on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account, in which he demanded certain rights from a government entity. This is further supported by the closure of his account several months after his arrest, following its seizure by State Security.
SANAD Human Rights Organization condemns the continued detention of Fares Al-Dalilah and calls on Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him, and to provide him with appropriate compensation.
