Dr. Ali Al-Omari’s Life Is in Danger
Together for Justice organisation held the Saudi authorities fully responsible for the safety, health and security of the detainee, Dr. Ali Al-Omari, after he suffered from kidney failure and his health deteriorated severely due to medical negligence.
According to private sources, the inhumane and poor detention conditions of Saudi prisons have caused Dr. Ali Al-Omari to suffer kidney failure, which was exacerbated by the authorities’ intransigence in providing him medical care.
Ali Al-Omari is a Saudi Islamic academic preacher. He holds a Ph.D. in Islamic jurisprudence and served as President of the Open University of Makkah Al-Mukarramah.
He was one of the founders of the Islamic channel 4 Shabab and served as the chairman of its board of directors. Furthermore, he was chosen as a goodwill ambassador for youth and humanity at the United Nations.
Dr. Ali Al-Omari was arrested on September 09, 2017, during the authorities’ fierce campaign against opponents, intellectuals, academics and writers who do not support the policies of Mohamed Bin Salman.
He was arrested in a humiliating manner, accused of forming a terrorist cell and seeking to destabilise the Kingdom, despite his achievements in societal reform and working with the youths for the progress and prosperity of the Kingdom.
Al-Omari suffered a series of brutal violations, as he remained in solitary confinement and was denied all forms of communication with his family for 15 months, before being transferred to other collective cells in which the conditions of detention were very poor as well.
Al-Omari was subjected to the most severe forms of physical torture in the first months of his arrest at the hands of Saudi security where he was beaten, electrocuted, burnt with cigarettes, in addition to other brutal forms of torture, which caused burns, infections and deep injuries in his body.
About a year after his arrest, Al-Omari was brought before the judiciary for the first time, where he was denied the right to appoint a lawyer, and court sessions were conducted in complete secrecy. The authorities also refused the family’s requests to see Al-Omari’s judicial file.
The Public Prosecution demanded the Specialised Criminal Court to apply the death penalty against Al-Omari after charging him with more than thirty charges, including forming a youth organisation to achieve the goals of a secret terrorist organisation inside the Kingdom, although all his activities were approved by the authorities.
Together for Justice renews its call on the various international bodies, civil society institutions and human rights defenders to stand against the violations of the Saudi regime, take more practical measures to save political detainees in Saudi Arabia and release all prisoners of conscience, including Dr. Ali Al-Omari, ensure that they obtain all their rights, and open urgent investigations into the violations they were subjected to.
We affirm that granting dictatorial regimes impunity will not only negatively affect the Saudis, but will allow it to extend its violations abroad, where Yemen is a good example, therefore, decisive measures must be taken to deter the Saudi regime and put an end to its violations and crimes against human rights.
