Eight Years Behind Bars for Charity Work: The Ongoing Detention of Dr. Salem Al-Dainy
It has now been almost eight years since Saudi authorities arbitrarily arrested reformist academic Dr. Salem Al-Dainy in September 2017. His only “crime”: engaging in humanitarian and charitable work, assisting the poor and disaster-stricken communities across the world.
Dr. Al-Dainy was detained during the mass arrest campaign that targeted dozens of academics, clerics, writers, and activists shortly after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came to power. While some of the detainees have since faced harsh and unjust sentences, many—like Dr. Al-Dainy—languish in prison without any official charges being publicly announced.
From the moment of his arrest, Dr. Al-Dainy has been subjected to egregious violations of his basic rights. He was held in solitary confinement for extended periods, denied access to a lawyer, and his family was arbitrarily banned from travel without any legal basis.
After more than five years in detention without trial, he was eventually sentenced in a secret court hearing to 15 years in prison, with no official disclosure of the charges against him to date.
Notably, just one month before his arrest, Dr. Al-Dainy was dismissed from his position as Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Development in a retaliatory move—further highlighting the politically motivated nature of the repression.
Dr. Al-Dainy holds a PhD in mechanical engineering, a diploma in cognitive behavioural therapy, and has spent more than two decades actively involved in humanitarian and relief efforts both inside and outside the Kingdom.
The Saudi regime continues to promote itself as a modernising force, but the intensifying crackdown on reformers, intellectuals, and humanitarian actors exposes a deeply authoritarian reality. Progress cannot be built on the silencing of conscience and the criminalisation of compassion.
Together for Justice calls on the international community to pressure the Saudi authorities to uphold international human rights standards, guarantee fair trials, and immediately and unconditionally release Dr. Salem Al-Dainy and all prisoners of conscience.
