Imprisoned human rights defender Abdullah Al-Hamid in critical condition
On 24 April 2020, human rights defender Abdullah Al-Hamid passed away in hospital after being in a coma for 15 days.
On 9 April 2020, human rights defender Abdullah Al-Hamid suffered a stroke whilst detained in Al-Ha’ir maximum security prison in Riyadh. He is currently in a coma and has been hospitalised.
Abdullah Al-Hamid is a founding member of the NGO Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA). On 9 March 2013, the Riyadh Specialised Criminal Court sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment, in addition to confirming a previous six year sentence sfor his involvement in establishing ACPRA. The list of charges against Abdullah Al-Hamid included destabilising security; spreading chaos; violating public safety; the fragmentation of national unity; the destruction of the capabilities of the nation and its gains; planting the seeds of discord and dissent; and publishing information on the Internet related to his interrogation.
On 24 April 2020, human rights defender Abdullah Al-Hamid passed away in hospital after being in a coma for 15 days.
Abdullah Al-Hamid is a founding member of the NGO Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA). On 9 March 2013, the Riyadh Specialised Criminal Court sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment, in addition to confirming a previous six year sentence for his involvement in establishing ACPRA. The list of charges against Abdullah Al-Hamid included destabilising security; spreading chaos; violating public safety; the fragmentation of national unity; the destruction of the capabilities of the nation and its gains; planting the seeds of discord and dissent; and publishing information on the Internet related to his interrogation.
On 9 April 2020, the human rights defender went into a coma after suffering a stroke, whilst detained in Al-Ha’ir maximum security prison in Riyadh. The prison authorities only transferred him to hospital four hours after he had suffered the stroke. Doctors had previously informed the human rights defender of the urgent need for a heart catheterisation, but the operation had been delayed for several months by the Al-Ha’ir prison administration and was due to take place in late May or early June. Abdullah Al-Hamid was not allowed to remain in hospital to await the operation and on 24 April 2020 he died as a result of medical negligence.
Human rights defender Abdullah Al-Hamid was frequently ill-treated by the prison authorites and was detained in poor, unhealthy conditions. Family visits to the Al-Ha’ir prison were regularly cancelled and he had very limited access to phone calls, especially since the outbreak of COVID-19.
Front Line Defenders utterly condemns the refusal of the Saudi authorities to permit Abdullah Al-Haimd access to necessary medical care, despite warnings of the consequences by medical professionals. It further condemns the ill-treatment to which he was regularly subjected while in prison. Front Line Defenders calls on the Saudi authorities to free all detained human rights defenders who, given the poor conditions in which they are held, are at serious risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 9 April 2020, human rights defender Abdullah Al-Hamid suffered a stroke whilst detained in Al-Ha’ir maximum security prison in Riyadh. He is currently in a coma and has been hospitalised.
Abdullah Al-Hamid is a founding member of the NGO Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA). On 9 March 2013, the Riyadh Specialised Criminal Court sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment, in addition to confirming a previous six year sentence for his involvement in establishing ACPRA. The list of charges against Abdullah Al-Hamid included destabilising security; spreading chaos; violating public safety; the fragmentation of national unity; the destruction of the capabilities of the nation and its gains; planting the seeds of discord and dissent; and publishing information on the Internet related to his interrogation.
Abdullah al-Hamid is currently in critical health following a stroke. Doctors had previously informed the human rights defender of the urgent need for a heart catheterisation, but the operation had been delayed for several months by the Al-Ha’ir prison administration. The operation was due to take place in late May or early June. Abdullah Al-Hamid was not allowed to remain in hospital to await the operation. On 9 April 2020, he suffered a stroke in prison and entered into a coma. He has been hospitalised since then.
Abdullah Al-Hamid has frequently been banned from calling his family, and family visits to the Al-Ha’ir prison are regularly cancelled. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, his access to phone calls has been restricted even further. The defender has been detained in poor, unhealthy conditions which have previously led him to go on a hunger strike.
Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned about the critical health condition of human rights defender Abdullah Al-Hamid, which appears to be linked to the poor conditions of detention and the denial of adequate medical care by the prison authorities. Front Line Defenders reiterates its concerns over the targeting of Abdullah Al-Hamid for his peaceful human rights activities.
