After 12 years in prison… Waleed Abu Al-Khair remains detained

These days mark the twelfth anniversary of the arrest of Saudi lawyer and human rights defender Waleed Abu Al-Khair, one of the most prominent advocates for human rights in the Kingdom. He has been arbitrarily detained since April 15, 2014, due to his peaceful activism and public calls for reform and justice.

Since then, Abu Al-Khair has spent years behind bars amid serious human rights violations, including solitary confinement, denial of visits, and restrictions on communication with the outside world. He has also been denied necessary medical care despite suffering from health issues requiring urgent attention, in addition to being subjected to torture and ill-treatment, including beatings and being dragged in chains.

In a related development, reports indicated that in February 2023, he was incited against by a prison officer, Ahmed Al-Shehri, who encouraged other inmates to assault him. This led Abu Al-Khair to go on hunger strike, after which prison authorities placed him in solitary confinement.

The Specialized Criminal Court had issued a ruling on July 6, 2014, sentencing him to 15 years in prison—10 years to be served and 5 years suspended—along with a 15-year travel ban following his release and a fine of 200,000 riyals. On January 12, 2015, the appeals court reviewed the case and increased the sentence to a full 15 years in prison.

For its part, SANAD Human Rights Organization calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Waleed Abu Al-Khair, an end to his prolonged suffering due to his peaceful activism, and urges the authorities to stop using the judiciary as a tool to suppress human rights defenders. It also calls on the international community and human rights organizations to take responsibility by exerting pressure for his release and holding accountable those responsible for the violations he has endured in detention.