Dr. Osama Al-Hasani’s Sentence Has Expired — His Continued Detention Is an Act of Pure Injustice
The four-year prison term of Saudi-Australian academic Dr. Osama Al-Hasani has officially expired, yet he remains arbitrarily detained in Saudi custody — a stark reminder of the regime’s systematic abuse of justice and disregard for the rule of law.
Dr. Al-Hasani was arrested in Tangier, Morocco, in February 2021 and forcibly extradited to Saudi Arabia on 13 March 2021, despite repeated warnings from international organisations about the real risk of torture and unfair trial. Following his transfer, he was forcibly disappeared for weeks before being brought before the Specialised Criminal Court, a body widely known for prosecuting political opponents and prisoners of conscience under the guise of “terrorism.”
After a secret and deeply flawed trial, the court sentenced him to four years in prison on fabricated charges, in a process that failed to meet even the most basic standards of justice. With that sentence now fully served, there is no legal justification whatsoever for keeping him in detention. His continued imprisonment constitutes a new arbitrary act and a deliberate violation of international human rights obligations, including the prohibition against unlawful detention.
Human rights groups have long maintained that Dr. Al-Hasani’s arrest and extradition were politically motivated, disguised as a commercial dispute to justify his handover. The Moroccan authorities’ decision to surrender him, despite credible evidence of risk, stands as a grave breach of the principle of non-refoulement, which forbids returning anyone to a country where they face persecution or torture.
The ongoing detention of Dr. Al-Hasani after the expiry of his sentence exposes the repressive and retaliatory nature of Saudi Arabia’s judicial system under the current leadership. His case mirrors a broader pattern of silencing academics, clerics, and intellectuals who dare to express independent thought.
Rights organisations, including Together for Justice, call for his immediate and unconditional release, full compensation for the years he has spent unjustly imprisoned, and accountability for those responsible for his abduction, torture, and political persecution. They further urge the Australian government to act decisively in defence of its citizen, pressuring the Saudi authorities to release him at once and guarantee his safety. Continuing to hold Dr. Al-Hasani after his sentence has expired is not merely a legal violation — it is a clear act of revenge, emblematic of the cruelty that defines Saudi repression today.
