Nearly Nine Years of Detention and Medical Neglect: The Case of Sheikh Mohammed Saleh Al-Munajjid Raises Serious Concerns Over Prolonged Arbitrary Detention in Saudi Arabia
Together for Justice renews its call for the immediate release of Islamic scholar Sheikh Mohammed Saleh Al-Munajjid, who has remained in detention since September 2017, marking nearly nine years of imprisonment without a fair and transparent judicial process, amid growing concerns over his deteriorating health due to prolonged medical neglect.
Al-Munajjid was arrested as part of a broader crackdown targeting religious scholars, intellectuals, and reformist voices. Since his arrest, there has been no clear public record of a concluded trial that meets basic standards of due process, and information regarding the legal status of his case remains limited and inconsistent.
Available reports indicate a significant decline in his health condition, as he suffers from chronic illnesses and has been denied adequate medical care during his detention. This pattern of withholding treatment has been repeatedly documented in similar cases and raises serious concerns about the use of medical neglect as a form of pressure against detainees.
In addition to the lack of proper medical care, Al-Munajjid has reportedly been held in harsh detention conditions, with restricted access to family and legal counsel. Such conditions fall short of international standards governing the treatment of detainees and further exacerbate the risks to his physical and psychological well-being.
From a legal standpoint, the prolonged detention of Al-Munajjid without a fair trial constitutes arbitrary detention and violates the right to liberty and security of person. Furthermore, the denial of medical care may amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment under international human rights law, particularly when it leads to serious deterioration in health.
This case reflects a broader pattern of prolonged detention of individuals based on their views or influence, where legal processes lack transparency and accountability, and where detention conditions contribute to the gradual deterioration of detainees’ health.
Accordingly, Together for Justice calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Sheikh Mohammed Saleh Al-Munajjid, and for urgent access to adequate medical care. The organization also calls for full disclosure of his legal status, an end to the practice of medical neglect in detention facilities, and independent investigations into violations committed against him, with accountability for those responsible.
The continued detention of Al-Munajjid under these conditions, after nearly nine years, raises serious concerns not only about his individual case, but about the broader state of due process, detention practices, and respect for fundamental rights.
