Nassar Al-Fraidi: Detained Since 2022 Over Tweets Supporting Prisoners of Conscience in Saudi Arabia
Together for Justice recalls the case of Saudi citizen Nassar Al-Fraidi, who has been detained since November 2022 over tweets in which he expressed solidarity with several prisoners of conscience, including the late Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamid, and called for the release of detainees from the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, known as HASM or ACPRA.
Nearly four years after his arrest, information about Al-Fraidi’s legal status remains limited and unclear. Saudi authorities have not transparently disclosed the charges against him, the progress of his case, whether he has been brought before a fair and public court, or whether he has been granted full access to legal defence and communication with his family.
Al-Fraidi’s arrest over peaceful tweets reflects the severe restrictions imposed on freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia. The authorities’ targeting is no longer limited to prominent activists or direct human rights defenders; it also extends to individuals who simply express solidarity with prisoners of conscience or call for their release.
According to available information, Al-Fraidi’s tweets did not call for violence, incitement, or any recognizable criminal act. They expressed peaceful solidarity with reformist and human rights figures who had themselves been punished for their peaceful activism. Yet the authorities treated this expression as grounds for arrest and prosecution.
Together for Justice stresses that solidarity with prisoners of conscience is not a crime. Calling for the release of political or human rights detainees must not be turned into a charge. The right to express opinions, criticize violations, and call for respect for basic rights is protected under international human rights standards.
The seriousness of Al-Fraidi’s case is compounded by the continued lack of transparency surrounding his legal status. Holding a person for years without clear judicial procedures or fair trial guarantees raises serious concerns of arbitrary detention and undermines any claim of judicial independence or lawful due process.
Al-Fraidi’s case forms part of a broader pattern of repression against peaceful voices in Saudi Arabia. The authorities continue to use detention, secrecy, and opaque legal proceedings to silence those who speak about detainees, recall abuses, or call for reform. In this context, human rights solidarity itself becomes a risky act.
From a legal perspective, the continued detention of Nassar Al-Fraidi over peaceful expression violates his right to liberty and security of person, his right to freedom of opinion and expression, his right to a fair trial, and his family’s right to know his legal and health status, place of detention, and conditions.
Together for Justice holds the Saudi authorities fully responsible for Nassar Al-Fraidi’s physical and psychological safety. The organization calls for the immediate disclosure of his legal and health status, and for his family and lawyer to be allowed to communicate with him without restriction.
The organization also calls for his immediate and unconditional release unless clear, lawful, and internationally recognized charges are publicly presented before an independent and public court with full fair trial guarantees.
Together for Justice urges Saudi authorities to stop targeting individuals over tweets, posts, or peaceful expressions of solidarity, to review all cases related to freedom of expression, and to end the use of imprisonment as a tool to intimidate those who defend prisoners of conscience.
Nassar Al-Fraidi’s case exposes a troubling reality: in Saudi Arabia, a tweet of solidarity can lead to prison, and calling for the release of detainees can become a reason for detention. Nearly four years after his arrest, his release is a legal and human rights obligation that can no longer be delayed.
