Eight Years of Detention and Torture… Dr. Ali Al-Omari Faces Slow Death in Saudi Prisons
As September 2025 marks the eighth year since the arrest of prominent academic, preacher, and media figure Dr. Ali Al-Omari, Together for Justice once again raises the alarm over his continued arbitrary detention, systematic torture, and deteriorating health, which now amounts to slow death inside Saudi prisons.
Dr. Al-Omari, the founder of 4Shabab TV and former president of Makkah Open University, was well-known for his moderate Islamic discourse, youth-oriented initiatives, and campaigns against extremism. He consistently advocated for women’s rights, democratic values, and peaceful reform, which earned him widespread recognition among Arab youth. However, instead of celebrating his contributions, the Saudi authorities branded him a threat to “national security” and silenced him through imprisonment.
On 9 September 2017, Al-Omari was arrested in a mass crackdown that targeted clerics, academics, journalists, and reformers. He was accused of “forming a secret youth organization” and faced over 30 terrorism-related charges—all fabricated and politically motivated. Reports confirm that his trial before the Specialized Criminal Court was conducted in secrecy, without access to legal defense, and that the prosecution even demanded the death penalty against him.
Following his arrest, Dr. Al-Omari endured some of the harshest abuses:
- 15 months in solitary confinement, completely cut off from the outside world.
- Severe torture, including beatings, electric shocks, and burning with cigarettes, leaving his body with burns, deep wounds, and permanent scars.
- Total denial of visits and communication with his family for extended periods.
- Denial of legal representation and a fair, transparent trial.
The toll of these abuses has been devastating. Dr. Al-Omari developed kidney failure as a direct result of inhumane detention conditions and medical neglect. Despite his urgent need for treatment, the authorities continue to deprive him of proper medical care, deliberately endangering his life and turning his imprisonment into a form of slow and silent execution.
International organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the United Nations, and Together for Justice, have repeatedly condemned his detention and called for his immediate release. Nevertheless, the Saudi authorities persist in ignoring all appeals, further exposing their contempt for human rights and international law.
Together for Justice affirms that the ongoing detention of Dr. Ali Al-Omari is a blatant violation of international conventions, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and demands:
- His immediate and unconditional release.
- The annulment of all fabricated charges and the secret, unlawful verdict.
- Urgent and adequate medical care.
- Accountability for those responsible for his torture and ill-treatment.
