Detention of Waleed Abu Al-Khair
On 6 February 2020, human rights defender Waleed Abu Al-Khair ended his hunger strike after being transferred back to his previous cell from the high security solitary confinement section of Dhahban Central Prison.
On 9 January 2019, human rights defender Waleed Abu Al-Khair was transferred to a hospital. His health has drastically deteriorated due to the hunger strike he restarted on 11 December 2019, after being returned to solitary confinement.
On 10 December 2019, human rights defender Waleed Abu Al-Khair ended his open-ended hunger strike, that he had started on 29 November to protest against the ill-treatment and punishment he has been facing while in prison. He was brought back to his previous cell from the high security solitary confinement section. The next day, 11 December, he restarted it when he was returned to solitary confinement.
On 12 January 2015, the Specialised Criminal Court in Riyadh increased the sentence against human rights defender Mr Waleed Abu Al-Khair to 15 years' imprisonment. On 6 July 2014, the human rights defender had been sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment, with five years suspended, and a travel ban of equal duration, as well as a fine of 200,000 Saudi Riyal, for charges related to his peaceful human rights activities. That verdict was appealed by the Public Prosecutor who requested that Waleed Abu Al-Khair serve the entire 15 year sentence.
The human rights defender was sentenced on charges of “striving to overthrow the state and the authority of the King”; “criticising and insulting the judiciary”; “assembling international organisations against the Kingdom”; “creating and supervising an unlicensed organisation, and contributing to the establishment of another”; and, “preparing and storing information that will affect public security”.
Waleed Abu Al-Khair is a lawyer and head of the Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, an organisation which monitors and documents human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. The application to register the organisation as a human rights NGO was rejected.
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- 6 February 2020 : Waleed Abu Al-Khair ends hunger strike
- 15 January 2020 : Waleed Abu Al-Khair’s health deteriorates drastically while on hunger strike
- 13 December 2019 : Walid Abu Al-Khair Returned to Solidarity Confinement
- 4 December 2019 : Waleed Abu Al-Khair begins hunger strike
- 13 January 2015 : Waleed Abu Al-Khair's sentence increased to 15 years in prison
- 12 August 2014 : Waleed Abu Al-Khair ill-treated while being transferred from Jeddah to Malaz prison
- 7 July 2014 : Waleed Abu Al-Khair receives lengthy prison sentence and travel ban
- 17 April 2014 : Arbitrary detention of human rights defender Mr Waleed Abu Al-Khair in Riyadh
On 6 February 2020, human rights defender Waleed Abu Al-Khair ended his hunger strike after being transferred back to his previous cell from the high security solitary confinement section of Dhahban Central Prison.
On 9 January 2019, human rights defender Waleed Abu Al-Khair was transferred to a hospital. His health has drastically deteriorated due to the hunger strike he restarted on 11 December 2019, after being returned to solitary confinement.
Waleed Abu Al-Khair is a lawyer and head of the Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, an organisation which monitors and documents human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. The application to register the organisation as a human rights NGO was rejected.
Human rights defender Waleed Abu Al-Khair started an open-ended hunger strike on 29 November 2019, to protest against the ill-treatment and solitary confinement he has been subjected to while in prison. On 10 December 2019, he ended his hunger strike after being moved back to his previous cell from the high security solitary confinement section. The next day, he restarted it when he was returned to solitary confinement. On 9 January 2020, after 30 days on hunger strike which caused his health to deteriorate drastically, the human rights defender was transferred to a hospital under high security measures. While in hospital, he was denied appropriate medical attention. He has been returned to solitary confinement since and has restarted his hunger strike.
The human rights defender was sentenced on 6 July 2014 to 15 years' imprisonment, a travel ban of equal duration, as well as a fine of 200,000 Saudi Riyal, on charges of “striving to overthrow the state and the authority of the King”; “criticising and insulting the judiciary”; “assembling international organisations against the Kingdom”; “creating and supervising an unlicensed organisation, and contributing to the establishment of another”; and, “preparing and storing information that will affect public security”.
Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned about the deteriorating health of human rights defender Waleed Abu Al-Khair, while on hunger strike, especially given that he suffers from diabetes. Front Line Defenders is also concerned about the ill-treatment he has been subjected to while in prison, which is believed to be directly linked to his peaceful and legitimate human rights work.
On 10 December 2019, human rights defender Waleed Abu Al-Khair ended his open-ended hunger strike, that he had started on 29 November to protest against the ill-treatment and punishment he has been facing while in prison. He was brought back to his previous cell from the high security solitary confinement section.
The next day, 11 December, he restarted it when he was returned to solitary confinement.
Waleed Abu Al-Khair has been imprisoned since 15 April 2014, and the year after was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment
On 29 November 2019, human rights defender Waleed Abu Al-Khair started an open-ended hunger strike to protest against the ill-treatment and punishment he has been facing while in prison. He has had his books and bedclothes confiscated, his cell has been raided in the night for inspection, and he has been left outside for long periods under the sun.
On 26 November 2019, the prison administration transferred the human rights defender to high a security section without providing any justification for his transfer.
On 12 January 2015, the Specialised Criminal Court in Riyadh increased the sentence against human rights defender Mr Waleed Abu Al-Khair to 15 years' imprisonment. On 6 July 2014, the human rights defender had been sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment, with five years suspended, and a travel ban of equal duration, as well as a fine of 200,000 Saudi Riyal, for charges related to his peaceful human rights activities. That verdict was appealed by the Public Prosecutor who requested that Waleed Abu Al-Khair serve the entire 15 year sentence.
The human rights defender was sentenced on charges of “striving to overthrow the state and the authority of the King”; “criticising and insulting the judiciary”; “assembling international organisations against the Kingdom”; “creating and supervising an unlicensed organisation, and contributing to the establishment of another”; and, “preparing and storing information that will affect public security”.
The Specialised Criminal Court has jurisdiction over terrorism-related cases. In an act of protest against the trial, Waleed Abu Al-Khair consistently refused to recognise both the court's legitimacy and the impartiality of the judge. In his appeal, the Public Prosecutor had said that Abu Al-Khair should serve the entire 15 year sentence, as he had not apologised to the court. Following the decision of 12 January 2015, the human rights defender and his legal representatives refused to sign the court report of the trial and declined to receive the judgment or to appeal it.
On 11 August 2014, human rights defender Mr Waleed Abu Al-Khair was moved from Jeddah prison to Malaz prison in Riyadh. While being transferred, it is reported that the human rights defender was beaten and pulled on the ground and he has since been suffering back pain. Waleed Abu Al-Khair's lawyer was not informed of the reasons for his transferral from Jeddah prison to Malaz prison.
On 6 July 2014, Waleed Abu Al-Khair was sentenced on charges of “striving to overthrow the state and the authority of the King”; “criticising and insulting the judiciary”; “assembling international organisations against the Kingdom”; “creating and supervising an unlicensed organisation, and contributing to the establishment of another”; and, “preparing and storing information that will affect public security”. The first instance Specialised Criminal Court in Jeddah ordered a 15-year prison sentence to begin on 15 April 2014, the day on which the human rights defender was initially detained. The judge ordered the suspension of five of the 15 years' imprisonment on the basis that he refrain from his human rights activity upon release. Further, Waleed Abu Al-Khair was sentenced to a 15-year travel ban, dating from the completion of his prison term, as well as a fine amounting to 200,000 Saudi riyal.
On 6 July 2014, the first instance Specialised Criminal Court in Jeddah sentenced human rights defender Mr Waleed Abu Al-Khair to 15 years' imprisonment and a further 15-year travel ban, as well as a fine amounting to 200,000 Saudi riyal.
The court also ordered the closure of all of his social media accounts.
Waleed Abu Al-Khair was sentenced on charges of “striving to overthrow the state and the authority of the King”; “criticising and insulting the judiciary”; “assembling international organisations against the Kingdom”; “creating and supervising an unlicensed organisation, and contributing to the establishment of another”; and, “preparing and storing information that will affect public security”.. The court ordered a 15-year prison sentence to begin on 15 April 2014, the day on which the human rights defender was initially detained. The judge ordered the suspension of five of the 15 years' imprisonment on the basis that he refrain from his human rights activity upon release. Further, Waleed Abu Al-Khair was sentenced to a 15-year travel ban, dating from the completion of his prison term.
Waleed Abu Al-Khair and his legal representatives refused to sign the court report and declined to receive the judgment or to appeal it. The human rights defender has persistently refused to recognise both the legitimacy of the court and the impartiality of the judge in an act of protest. Waleed Abu Al-Khair has been targeted continuously by the Saudi Arabian authorities since March 2012.
On 15 April 2014, prominent Saudi Arabian human rights defender Mr Waleed Abu Al-Khair was arbitrarily detained, while at the premises of the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh.
The human rights defender was attending the fifth session of an ongoing trial against him at that court. Neither Waleed Abu Al-Khair's family nor his lawyer have been informed of the reasons for the arrest.
At 8am on 15 April 2014, Waleed Abu Al-Khair arrived at the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh, and was reportedly arrested and taken to an unknown location. His wife did not learn the human rights defender's whereabouts until 16 April 2014, when authorities at Al Ha'ir prison in Riyadh confirmed to her that he was indeed imprisoned there. The arbitrary detention appears to be unrelated to the convictions and charges against Waleed Abu Al-Khair, described below.
On 29 October 2013, the human rights defender was sentenced to 3 months in prison by a Jeddah court on charges including “organising illegal gatherings” and “insulting the judiciary”. Waleed Abu Al-Khair had been waiting to be informed of when the sentence would be carried out.
In addition, in Riyadh, the human rights defender faces charges including: “striving to overthrow the state and the authority of the King”; “criticizing and insulting the judiciary”; “assembling international organizations against the Kingdom”; “creating and supervising an unlicensed organization, and contributing to the establishment of another”; and, “preparing and storing information that will affect public security”. Several of these charges were already addressed in the first trial against Waleed Abu Al-Khair. The claims related to establishing an unlicensed organization is in reference to the Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia.
Front Line Defenders expresses its concern at the arbitrary detention of Waleed Abu Al-Khair, particularly as the detention appears to be solely related to his legitimate and peaceful human rights work.
