Wife of British detainee Ahmed Al-Doush appeals to Saudi Crown Prince for his release amid fears for his life

The wife of British citizen Ahmed Al-Doush, detained in Saudi Arabia since 2024 over social media posts, has appealed to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to intervene and secure his release, warning of a severe deterioration in his physical and mental health.

His wife, Amaher Nour, said in a humanitarian appeal supported by Amnesty International that her husband’s prolonged absence has deeply affected the family and their four children, the youngest of whom is only one year old, while the others are all under the age of ten.

She stated: “A year and eight months have passed — long enough for us all to feel the weight of absence and the pain of separation. His return to his children has become the hope we hold onto every day. His return would restore stability to his family and give his children the chance to grow up in their father’s care and embrace, instead of living through this painful void during their early years.”

Saudi authorities arrested Al-Doush, a British citizen of Sudanese origin living in Manchester, while he was on a family holiday in the Kingdom, at a time when his wife was pregnant with their fourth child.

Amnesty International confirmed that Al-Doush’s health has “deteriorated severely,” noting that prolonged restrictions on communication with his family have left him in deep isolation. The organization stated that he carried out several hunger strikes in protest against being denied contact with his wife and children, warning that his condition has recently reached a level raising serious concerns about self-harm and risks to his life.

In November last year, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Ahmed Al-Doush’s detention was arbitrary under international law and called for his immediate release and compensation. The group stated that he had been held incommunicado, was not promptly informed of the reasons for his arrest, was not brought before a judge until five months later, and was denied contact with his family for extended periods.

Despite the UN opinion, Saudi authorities did not release him, but merely reduced his sentence from ten years to five years.

Saudi authorities accuse Al-Doush of committing “terrorism-related crimes,” including supporting extremist ideology and using online networks to promote it. His lawyers deny the accusations, stating that the case relates to old social media posts on a low-followed account and an alleged social connection to a Saudi dissident living in exile.

SANAD Human Rights Organization called on Saudi authorities to urgently respond to this humanitarian appeal, release Ahmed Al-Doush without delay, and allow him to return to his family and children, especially amid escalating concerns over his life and mental and physical well-being.