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Wajdi Bin Hamza Al-Ghazzawi
Journalist
detainee
Date of Birth
٥ نوفمبر ١٩٦٤
City Of Birth
Mecca
Gender
Male
Nationality
Saudi
Education
Bachelor's degree in Islamic Da'wah and Culture (Sects and Doctrines) from Umm Al-Qura University
About The Detainee
He served as an imam in several mosques and at the Islamic Center in Daytona Beach, USA. He also represented Muslims before the American authorities in Florida, conducted marriage contracts for Muslims there, and contributed to resolving their social and family issues. He taught Muslim inmates in American prisons, worked as a religious observer in the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques and the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and served as the Director of Religious Affairs at the National Guard Hospital in Jeddah. Additionally, he resided in Egypt for several years.
Arrest And Human Rights Violations
Date Of Arrest:
2012-08-01
City Of Internment:
Reason
The reason for his arrest was the creation of the television program
Method
He was brutally arrested after Friday prayers.
Practices And Violations
- Arbitrary arrest
- Lured back to Saudi Arabia with a promise of immunity to arrest him
- Denied the right to appoint a lawyer
- Placed in a ward where infectious diseases are prevalent
The Human Dimension In His Detention
Father of eight: two sons and six daughters.
Prison
Islahiyyah Makkah Al-Mukarramah Prison
Trial and legal proceedings
The Specialized Criminal Court charged him with damaging the reputation of the Kingdom, producing materials that distort public order and morals, inciting sedition, accusing the government of corruption, and receiving $1.8 million from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, followed by a 20-year travel ban, and a permanent ban from media appearances.
Time Line For Arrest
2014-01-13
His first trial began
2014-02-01
He was sentenced
He was arrested