Abdullah Al-Shehri: Saudi Preacher Still Forcibly Disappeared Over Deleted Tweet
The well-known Saudi preacher Abdullah Al-Shehri is still subject to enforced disappearance in Saudi prisons since his arrest during the May 2021 crackdown campaign over a comment he made on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s TV interview that was broadcast during the holy month of Ramadan that year.
During the 90-minute interview with a state-owned TV channel, MBS spoke at length about the issue of religious extremism, citing some hadith—recorded narrations of the sayings and actions of the prophet—that have been criticized by Al-Shehri on his official Twitter account.
The tweet was considered offensive, although Al-Shehri quickly deleted his tweet. Since then, his fate has remained unknown.
Abdullah Al-Shehri is a PhD researcher in social sciences, an author, and a translator. He worked as a teaching assistant, then as a lecturer, and most recently as a management consultant in organizational learning and the English language curriculum.
He obtained several degrees, including a PhD in social sciences from the University of Leicester in Britain, and a master’s degree in applied linguistics from the University of Nottingham, in Britain, as well as a bachelor’s degree in science, Applied Language from King Saud University, and a BA in Sharia from Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University.
Abdullah Al-Shehri was arrested in May 2021 during a large-scale crackdown campaign that targeted a number of prominent social media activists including: Abdul Rahman Al-Sheikhi, Rina Abdel Aziz, Abdul Rahman Al-Sheikhi, Abdul Rahman Al-Sheikhi, Lina Sharif, and Abdullah Gilan.
Since MBS became the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, citizens have experienced the worst period of repression in their modern history. Authorities have conducted waves of arrests targeting political dissidents, public intellectuals, and human rights activists.
In this regard, we emphasise the critical importance of mobilizing a strong public opinion to pressure Saudi authorities to release all political prisoners and raise awareness about their plight. Let’s be the voice of the voiceless to achieve justice and democracy.
