Human rights activist Mohamed Al-Rabiah sentenced for 6 years imprisonment
The Prisoners of Conscience twitter account, which is interested in news of human rights and political detainees in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announced that on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, the Criminal Court issued a six-year prison sentence against the Saudi human rights activist, Dr. Mohamed Al-Rabiah.
The Saudi Arabia security forces launched many large arrest campaigns to a large number of academics, jurists, advocates and journalists.
Among those arrested was Mohamed Al-Rabiah, who is a human rights defender based in Saudi Arabia.
On May 15, 2018, the state security forces arrested Mohamed Al-Rabiah during an arrest campaign of women rights activists who had denounced the continuation of the male guardianship system in March of the same year.
The Saudi security authorities had referred Mohamed Al-Rabiah to the Specialized Criminal Court on March 21, 2021, which is three years after his arrest. The Public Prosecution seemed to be in a state of severe quarrel against him as it demanded the court to imprison him for 25 years, a life sentence, and to impose a travel ban on him after completing his sentence.
Lawyers and human rights defenders attributed the arrest of Mohamed Al-Rabiah to his firm stance in demanding the authorities to empower women in Saudi Arabia to drive a car.
Violations against him
Human rights organizations revealed that Al-Rabiah was subjected to brutal torture in the State Security Agency, where he was detained for months after his arbitrary arrest. He was electrocuted and he slept on the floor until he suffered a herniated disc. Reports also provided that he was tortured by being put in a small wardrobe for several days, in addition to other forms of torture.
Members close to his family revealed that he was being starved and prevented him from communicating with his family for months, close to a year, after he was transferred to Al-Dhahban prison, where he remains until now.
According to many legal articles, including Article 6 of the Law on Combating Information Crimes and Articles 53 and 55 of the Law on Combating Terrorist Crimes and Its Financing, the Public Prosecution charged Al-Rabiah with a set of charges related to his peaceful human rights activities, all of which are vague charges, such as causing disturbance to the social fabric, weakening national unity, stirring up strife, and working with others to implement foreign agendas that undermine the security and stability of the Kingdom, and publishing articles and writings that harm national security and improve the image of suspicious currents.
Human rights organizations such as MENA and ALQST for Human Rights, stood in solidarity with Al-Rabiah and called on the Saudi authorities to release him and all other detainees.
Together for Justice, calls the authorities to release him and all other detainees immediately and unconditionally, grant them all their human and legal rights, and enable them to see their families after all these years of arbitrary detention and deprivation.
READ MORE: Human Rights Activists Call to Release Rights Defender Nassima Al-Sada
