Faisal Al-Shamrani Held Behind Bars Since 2019 for Calling for Jobs
Together for Justice renews attention to the case of Saudi detainee Faisal Al-Shamrani, who has remained in detention since November 2019 after expressing calls on social media for job opportunities and action against unemployment.
Al-Shamrani, a university graduate, used his personal Twitter account to raise concerns about rising unemployment among Saudi youth and to call for fair employment policies. His statements were peaceful and focused on social and economic issues. However, these calls were met with arbitrary arrest, as security forces raided his home and detained him without a warrant or clear charges.
Since his arrest, Saudi authorities have provided no transparent information about his legal status or the details of his case. Reports indicate that he has been subjected to ill-treatment, denied regular contact with his family, and not granted a fair and public trial with basic legal safeguards.
His case reflects a broader pattern in which even non-political, social demands are treated as security threats. Since 2017, arrests in Saudi Arabia have increasingly targeted not only activists and academics, but also ordinary citizens expressing opinions on public issues.
The continued detention of Faisal Al-Shamrani highlights the criminalization of peaceful expression and raises serious concerns about the use of digital platforms as tools for surveillance and punishment rather than spaces for dialogue.
Together for Justice holds Saudi authorities fully responsible for his safety and calls for his immediate and unconditional release, as well as for an end to arbitrary detention linked to peaceful expression.
Together for Justice also urges the international community, including the United Nations and human rights bodies, to take concrete steps to ensure accountability and to press for the protection of fundamental freedoms in Saudi Arabia.
