Palestinian Detainees in Saudi Arabia: A Forgotten Struggle and an Uncertain Fate

For six years, Palestinian detainees have languished in Saudi prisons, their fate shrouded in secrecy, their suffering deliberately hidden from the world. Saudi authorities have imposed a near-total blackout on their conditions, refusing to disclose information about their well-being, their legal status, or even their whereabouts.

What began as arbitrary arrests has turned into a slow, systematic erasure—enforced disappearance masked by a fabricated legal framework designed to provide a false veneer of legitimacy to blatant human rights violations. Despite the quiet release of some detainees last year, Saudi authorities have refused to reveal their names, leaving families in agonizing uncertainty over whether their loved ones remain imprisoned or have been set free. The denial of basic communication rights, coupled with extreme restrictions on family contact, has created a chilling reality: these detainees are being erased, held in legal limbo, with no voice and no acknowledgment of their suffering.

This brutal ordeal began in February 2019, when Saudi authorities launched a sweeping crackdown on Palestinian residents in the kingdom. Those arrested were forcibly disappeared for months, then subjected to secretive trials that flouted even the most basic principles of justice. Court sessions were held behind closed doors, and detainees were systematically denied the right to mount a proper legal defense. None were allowed private meetings with their lawyers, and they were stripped of the ability to present their cases independently, rendering the entire judicial process a hollow performance designed to legitimize a predetermined outcome. Even after sentencing, the cruelty did not stop—family visits were heavily restricted, rare, and when permitted, tightly controlled, with authorities monitoring every word to prevent detainees from speaking freely about the abuse they endured behind bars.

The suffering inside Saudi prisons extends far beyond unjust imprisonment; it is compounded by inhumane conditions, mistreatment, and medical neglect so severe that it has become a silent death sentence for some detainees. Journalist Abdul Rahman Farhana is one of the most harrowing cases. Sentenced to 19 years in prison—later reduced to 9 and a half—his trial was a mockery of justice.

Arrested in 2019, he was forcibly disappeared for months before being thrown into solitary confinement under cruel and degrading conditions. At 66 years old, he was denied access to medical care despite his deteriorating health. Instead of receiving treatment, he was left to suffer in a prison environment that actively worsened his condition, in clear violation of international laws that mandate special protection for elderly and sick detainees. Farhana’s story is not unique; it is a reflection of the systematic brutality that defines Saudi Arabia’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners.

The cruelty of Saudi detention policies has spared no one—not even elderly prisoners suffering from life-threatening illnesses. Among them is Dr. Mohammad al-Khodari, over 80 years old, who endured years of imprisonment despite his critical health condition.

His age and illness did not shield him from mistreatment; he was subjected to prolonged detention, denied medical care, and left to deteriorate in a prison system designed to break both body and spirit. His release in October 2022 was not an act of justice but a reluctant response to mounting international pressure and relentless human rights advocacy. The fact that it took immense external pressure to secure his freedom speaks volumes about the true nature of Saudi Arabia’s so-called legal system—one driven not by justice but by political convenience.

 This reality casts an ominous shadow over those still imprisoned, whose fates remain unknown as Saudi authorities refuse to disclose even the most basic information about their condition. If past cases are any indication, the world should brace itself for more suffering, more injustice, and possibly more deaths behind prison walls.

The continued detention of these Palestinian prisoners—under circumstances that amount to enforced disappearance and gross human rights violations—should be a global outrage. Yet, Saudi Arabia remains defiant, ignoring repeated calls from human rights organizations for their immediate and unconditional release. The kingdom bears full responsibility for the safety and well-being of these detainees, and no political pretext or manufactured security justification can erase the fact that their imprisonment is an unrelenting assault on human dignity and international law.

As Saudi Arabia aggressively markets its so-called “reforms” through extravagant festivals, concerts, and global events, the world must resist the temptation to be blinded by this spectacle. Beneath the glitz and glamour lies a far darker reality—a reality where innocent men are being systematically erased from public consciousness, their suffering buried beneath the distractions of entertainment and spectacle.

True progress is not measured by the scale of a nation’s festivals or the number of international stars it attracts, but by its commitment to human rights and justice. The global community must not allow Saudi Arabia’s image-polishing campaigns to drown out the cries of those trapped behind its prison walls.

These detainees are not statistics; they are human beings who have endured unspeakable hardship for six years, abandoned by a world too easily distracted by spectacle. Their suffering is real. Their fate remains uncertain. And their voices must not be silenced. Justice demands their immediate release—without delay, without conditions, and without exception.