More than four years after his arrest… Imran Al-Arkani remains behind bars

Since October 2021, humanitarian activist Imran Al-Arkani has remained imprisoned by Saudi authorities under ongoing arbitrary detention, reportedly over reposting videos related to prisoners of conscience.

Al-Arkani’s ordeal began after he was arrested from his home in Mecca following a widespread incitement campaign led by pro-government accounts that directly targeted him. After a full year in detention, the Specialized Criminal Court issued a harsh sentence in October 2022, sentencing him to 25 years in prison despite the absence of clear charges or acts warranting such a severe punishment.

At a later stage, the Court of Appeal overturned the initial ruling and reduced the sentence to 20 years. However, the reduced sentence remains arbitrary and lacks a fair legal basis.

SANAD Human Rights Organization affirmed that the continued detention of Imran Al-Arkani constitutes a serious human rights violation, renewing its call for the sentence against him to be overturned and for his immediate and unconditional release. The organization also called for the release of all prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia and an end to violations of freedom of expression.