Name: Abdulrahman Al-Sadhan
Field of Activism: Humanitarian worker, employee at the Saudi Red Crescent
Date of Arrest: March 12, 2018
Sentence: 20 years in prison followed by a 20-year travel ban
Current Place of Detention: Al-Ha’ir Prison, Riyadh (No contact with his family for over four years, amounting to enforced disappearance)
Charges Against Him:
- Using social media to post satirical tweets criticizing the government
- Creating, storing, and sending content deemed harmful to public order and religious values
- Violating Saudi Arabia’s anti-cybercrime and counterterrorism laws
Trial and Sentencing Timeline:
- March 12, 2018: Arrested from his workplace at the Saudi Red Crescent in Riyadh without a warrant
- February 12, 2020: After 23 months of enforced disappearance, he was allowed his first phone call with his family
- February 22, 2021: Received his second phone call with his family after more than a year of silence
- March 3, 2021: His trial began at the Specialized Criminal Court, facing charges related to his social media activity
- April 5, 2021: Sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by a 20-year travel ban
- October 5, 2021: The Court of Appeals upheld the sentence
Violations:
- Arbitrary Arrest: Detained without a warrant or clear charges for an extended period
- Enforced Disappearance: Held incommunicado for two years before his first contact with his family
- Torture and Ill-Treatment:
- Electric shocks and severe beatings that resulted in broken bones
- Prolonged suspension in stress positions
- Sexual harassment and death threats
- Verbal abuse and solitary confinement
- Denial of Fair Trial:
- Denied the right to legal representation
- Forced confessions extracted under torture used as evidence against him
- Secret trial sessions with no independent monitoring
- Denial of Medical Care:
- His health deteriorated in detention, developing pre-diabetic conditions due to medical neglect
- Cut-Off Communication with Family:
- His family has not heard from him in over four years, and authorities refuse to disclose any information about his condition
Who is Abdulrahman Al-Sadhan?
Abdulrahman Al-Sadhan is a Saudi humanitarian worker who was employed at the Saudi Red Crescent in Riyadh, dedicating his life to humanitarian service. Outside his work, he managed an anonymous Twitter account, where he posted satirical tweets about political and social issues in Saudi Arabia.
He was arrested in March 2018 after Saudi authorities infiltrated Twitter, using recruited employees within the company to unmask anonymous critics—including Al-Sadhan. Once his identity was exposed, he was forcibly disappeared and later subjected to an unfair trial that sentenced him to 20 years in prison followed by a 20-year travel ban.
For over four years, his family has had no contact with him, raising serious fears about his safety and whereabouts. His continued detention is a blatant crime against humanity, exposing the double standards of the international community, which overlooks Saudi Arabia’s grave human rights violations in favor of political and economic interests.
Free Abdulrahman Al-Sadhan now! His continued detention is a crime and a blatant violation of international laws and conventions. For over four years, his family has been left in the dark, with no information about his whereabouts, while Saudi authorities continue to conceal his fate amid growing fears for his safety. His location and condition must be revealed immediately, and he must be released unconditionally.
To FIFA, international institutions, and governments that claim to uphold human rights but sell them at the first profitable deal—how can you turn a blind eye to these crimes while promoting a country that imprisons activists, humanitarians, and dissidents? Has the global conscience become a commodity traded for economic interests? Awarding Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup despite its repressive record proves that rights and freedoms are no longer a priority. Do not ignore these violations—freedom is not a privilege; it is a fundamental right for all!