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Aida Al-Ghamdi
detainee
Date of Birth
١٩٥٨
City Of Birth
Albaha
Gender
Female
Nationality
Saudi
Education
Middle School
About The Detainee
Aida Ali Al-Ghamdi is the mother of detainee Adel Ali Al-Ghamdi and the mother of Abdullah Ali Al-Ghamdi, a Saudi opposition figure residing in the United Kingdom.
Arrest And Human Rights Violations
Date Of Arrest:
2018-03-26
City Of Internment:
Jeddah
Reason
While Aida Al-Ghamdi was in the car with her two sons, Adel and Sultan, on their way to a shopping center in the Al-Jami'ah district, she and her son Adel were arrested without the presentation of an arrest warrant by officers from the Ministry of Interior’s intelligence agency, who were dressed in civilian clothing. The intelligence vehicles arrived and forced Mrs. Al-Ghamdi and Adel to stop their car before they were taken to an undisclosed location.
Method
While Aida Al-Ghamdi was in the car with her two sons, Adel and Sultan, on their way to a shopping center in the Al-Jamea district, both Aida Al-Ghamdi and her son Adel were arrested without a warrant by officers from the Ministry of Interior’s intelligence agency, who were dressed in civilian clothing. The intelligence vehicles arrived and forced Aida Al-Ghamdi and Adel to stop their car before they were taken to an undisclosed location.
Practices And Violations
- Arrest without presenting an arrest warrant.
- Arrested by civilians.
- Concealing the news of her arrest for more than 3 days.
- Enforced disappearance for three months.
- Denied communication with her family for more than three months.
- Threatened that her execution would result from her children’s continued contact with her son, Abdullah, who is an opposition figure living in the UK.
- Solitary confinement for over three months.
- Subjected to severe beatings, particularly to the face, and had cigarette butts extinguished on her to force confessions.
- Transferred between Dhahban Prison in Jeddah and Dammam Prison without notifying her relatives.
- Excessive violence, including beatings and threats, was used against her detained son, Adel Ali Al-Ghamdi, to fabricate charges against her.
- Tortured in front of her detained son Adel, and vice versa.
- Intimidation of lawyers to prevent them from taking on her case.
- One of her sons was forced to record a video denouncing their activist brother living abroad, affirming that the family had no ties with him, in exchange for the release of herself and her son Adel, which the Saudi authorities have yet to honor.
- The lawyer appointed by the family attempted to visit his clients in prison, but the authorities prevented him and exerted pressure, forcing him to withdraw from the case.
- Secret trial.
- Detained for over 15 months without being presented before a judicial authority, as she was arrested in March 2018 and was not brought to court until July 2019.
- Continued detention despite her old age.
- Suffering from several chronic illnesses, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and severe back and neck pain.
Charges against her:
- Communicating via phone with a family member residing abroad – their calls were recorded.
- Receiving financial assistance from the family member on several occasions.
- Failing to report her phone communications to the authorities.
The Human Dimension In His Detention
The arrest of an elderly woman with her son to pressure her son - who opposes the Saudi regime - to remain silent. Aida Al-Ghamdi suffers from diabetes, hypertension, and severe back and neck pain.
Prison
Dhahban Jeddah, then moved to Dammam Political Prison
Trial and legal proceedings
She was sentenced to 14 years in prison, which was later increased to 16 years.
Time Line For Arrest
2018-04-01
Her son Sultan was released on the condition that he publicly disown his brother
2019-10-01
It has been revealed that she was subjected to torture in prison
She was arrested along with her two sons, Adel and Sultan