16 Months After Completing His Sentence, Saudi Authorities Continue to Illegally Detain Dr. Amer Al-Almaai

More than 16 months have passed since Saudi authorities were supposed to release Dr. Amer Al-Almaai, yet he remains unlawfully detained with no explanation given to his family. The Saudi government had sentenced him to four and a half years in prison, a term that was meant to end in September 2023, but despite completing his sentence, he has not been freed. His continued detention without legal justification is a blatant violation of both Saudi and international law.
Dr. Al-Almaai was arrested in March 2019 from his home in Abha as part of a widespread crackdown that targeted reformists, intellectuals, and activists. He was forcibly disappeared for several months, during which he was denied all contact with his family and legal representation, and subjected to severe physical and psychological torture. He was later brought before a court and sentenced in September 2021 to nine and a half years in prison and a 500,000 Saudi riyal fine. The sentence was later reduced by half, yet despite serving his full term, he remains behind bars.
His trial was yet another example of Saudi Arabia’s sham judicial process, where detainees are denied basic legal rights, including access to legal counsel and the ability to prepare a proper defense. No credible evidence was ever presented against him, and the charges were clearly politically motivated.
Dr. Al-Almaai is not only an academic and internal medicine specialist, but also a respected community figure and former imam at Othman Al-Ghamdi Mosque in Abha. He dedicated much of his career to humanitarian work, providing medical care to displaced persons and low-income individuals. Instead of being recognized for his service, he has been unjustly imprisoned, held in conditions that violate international detention standards.
Like many other prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Al-Almaai is suffering from inhumane conditions, including exposure to pollution, mistreatment, and complete isolation from the outside world. The refusal to release him, even after the completion of his sentence, is proof that the Saudi authorities do not even respect their own judicial rulings. The so-called legal proceedings in his case, as in many others, were merely a cover for political persecution, and now even the pretense of law is being ignored.
Together for Justice urgently calls on the United Nations, human rights organizations, and global advocates of justice to increase pressure on Saudi authorities to release Dr. Amer Al-Almaai and all other political detainees immediately. His continued detention, like that of many others, highlights how the Saudi judicial system is not an institution of justice, but a tool of oppression. Even when unjust sentences are completed, prisoners remain behind bars, proving that the Saudi government operates outside any legal or ethical framework.
Dr. Al-Almaai’s case is not an isolated one. It is part of a broader campaign of repression aimed at silencing all independent voices. His prolonged detention demonstrates that in Saudi Arabia, even those who follow the legal system are not guaranteed their freedom. The international community must act now—remaining silent only emboldens further human rights abuses.