Brother of Egyptian Umrah Pilgrim Shaheen Gharib: Our Appeals for His Release Have Gone Unanswered

Ahmed Gharib, brother of Egyptian detainee Shaheen Gharib Shoaib, said that all the family’s appeals and pleas for his release from Saudi custody have gone unanswered.

Shaheen arrived at Jeddah Airport on March 3, 2026, to perform Umrah. He called his family shortly after arriving, then disappeared. In late April, he briefly contacted them, but his legal status and the reasons for his continued detention remain unknown.

Ahmed said the family has exhausted all available channels without success, stressing that Shaheen is innocent and entered Saudi Arabia legally to perform Umrah.

His case is part of a broader pattern in which Saudi authorities have detained individuals arriving to perform Hajj or Umrah, with some still held in custody.

SANAD Human Rights Organization calls on Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Egyptian citizen Shaheen Gharib Shoaib, end the detention of pilgrims, and ensure they can perform their religious rituals freely and safely without arbitrary arrest or detention over their views or opinions.