Over 2050 Days Behind Bars: The Ongoing Detention of Egyptian Doctor Sabry Shalabi Is a Clear Violation of International Law

Together for Justice strongly condemns the continued imprisonment of Egyptian doctor Sabry Shalabi, now 66 years old, who has spent over 2050 days in Saudi prisons since his arbitrary arrest from his home in Tabuk in January 2020.

He was charged with fabricated accusations, including “sympathizing with a terrorist entity” and “joining a terrorist entity,” baseless charges that were used to punish him after he sought fair compensation for his work in Saudi Arabia.

Retaliatory and Unfair Trial

In August 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) sentenced Shalabi to 20 years in prison under the Anti-Terrorism Law, accusing him of expressing sympathy with a so-called terrorist group. In December 2022, the Court of Appeal reduced the sentence to 10 years and dropped one of the charges.
However, during his trial:

• He was denied the right to legal representation during the first hearings.
• Judgments against him were based on coerced confessions extracted under threats and pressure.
• His case was tried before an extraordinary court lacking independence and impartiality.

Case Background

Shalabi, a psychiatrist, had been working in the Tabuk Directorate of Public Health since 2006. In 2016, he discovered he had been underpaid for years and filed a lawsuit to reclaim the wage difference. In December 2019, the court ruled in his favor, ordering the Directorate to pay the arrears. Instead of complying, the Directorate appealed, terminated his contract, and issued a final exit visa for him and his wife. Days before the appeal decision, Shalabi was arrested from his home by plainclothes security forces.

What began as a legitimate labor dispute under Saudi law was deliberately transformed into a terrorism case, with trumped-up charges used as a weapon of retaliation. His family has yet to receive the compensation legally awarded to him.

Violations of International Law

Dr. Sabry Shalabi’s case reflects multiple breaches of international human rights law:

• Arbitrary detention – violating Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
• Torture and coerced confessions – violating Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the Convention Against Torture (CAT).
• Denial of fair trial rights – violating Article 14 of the ICCPR, which guarantees the right to a fair hearing and defense.
• Use of courts as tools of political retaliation, contrary to the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary.

Together for Justice affirms that Dr. Sabry Shalabi’s arrest and trial were politically motivated and retaliatory, stemming from his lawful efforts to claim his financial rights.

We call for:

• The immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Sabry Shalabi.
• The enforcement of his right to receive the financial compensation ordered by court prior to his arrest.
• An independent international investigation into the violations committed against him.
• Binding pressure on Saudi authorities to respect their international obligations and end the use of the SCC as a tool of repression.