On the Ninth Anniversary of His Arrest, SANAD Calls for the Release of Preacher Nayef Al-Sahafi

These days mark the ninth anniversary of the arrest of Islamic preacher Nayef Al-Sahafi, who was detained in September 2017 as part of a widespread crackdown by Saudi authorities targeting a number of preachers, intellectuals, and activists.

Since his arrest, Al-Sahafi has faced a series of violations, beginning with enforced disappearance and prolonged denial of contact with his family. He was later subjected to a secret trial that lacked even the most basic fair-trial guarantees and was denied the right to legal representation. The proceedings ended with a 10-year prison sentence.

SANAD Human Rights Organization states that Nayef Al-Sahafi’s continued detention violates his fundamental rights and renews its call on Saudi authorities to immediately release him and all prisoners of conscience in the Kingdom, and to end the policy of arbitrary detention and trials lacking basic guarantees of justice.