Recent Releases of Saudi Detainees: A Welcome Step, but Far From Enough

Together for Justice welcomes the recent release of several detainees from Saudi prisons, including Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Al-Khudairi, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Habdan, and Dr. Malik Al-Ahmad, who endured years of unjust imprisonment under harsh conditions. While this step is a positive development, it remains insufficient in addressing the broader human rights violations in Saudi Arabia, where thousands of individuals continue to languish in detention or face forced disappearances.
The Saudi government’s decision to expedite the work of the committee tasked with reviewing sentences—formed less than two years ago—has yielded slow and selective outcomes. These releases appear to be an attempt to alleviate growing domestic and international pressure rather than a genuine commitment to justice and reform.
A Long Road Ahead: The Fight for Justice Continues
The cases of those released serve as a reminder of the thousands who remain unjustly detained, such as Dr. Salman Al-Ouda and Saud Al-Hashimi. Many others, like Dr. Mohammed Al-Qahtani, remain victims of enforced disappearance, while families like those of Sheikh Salman Al-Duwish and Sheikh Safar Al-Hawali endure endless suffering. Female detainees, including Salma Al-Shehab and Noura Al-Qahtani, face life sentences for expressing solidarity with political prisoners through social media.
These individuals have suffered the consequences of deeply flawed legal proceedings characterized by politicized charges, unfair trials, and confessions extracted under torture. Their detentions violate international human rights standards and expose the systemic injustice ingrained in the Saudi judicial system.
Beyond Temporary Measures: Toward Comprehensive Justice
The release of some detainees should not be perceived as a conclusive step toward reform but rather as a superficial response to external criticism. The ultimate goal must be the eradication of political imprisonment altogether. Saudi prisons must no longer hold individuals simply for exercising their basic rights, expressing dissent, or calling for reform.
The Right to Compensation and Accountability
Together for Justice emphasizes that the released detainees are entitled to more than just freedom—they deserve justice. These individuals must receive public apologies, full rehabilitation, and compensation for the grave injustices they endured. Years of unlawful imprisonment have inflicted irreparable harm on their mental health, physical well-being, and social lives. The state bears the responsibility for these damages, which cannot be overlooked or minimized.
Restrictions Beyond Release: A New Form of Repression
Even after their release, many former detainees remain under severe restrictions, including travel bans, surveillance, and other measures that curtail their freedoms. These constraints effectively turn their lives into a form of open-air imprisonment, depriving them of the ability to live freely and rebuild their lives.
The Global Reach of Saudi Repression: Jamal Khashoggi as a Stark Example
Saudi repression extends far beyond its borders. Dissidents and former detainees who have sought refuge abroad continue to face threats to their safety and lives. The brutal assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 serves as a chilling reminder of the Saudi regime’s willingness to target critics regardless of their location.
Dissidents abroad face relentless harassment through cyberattacks, smear campaigns by state-sponsored troll armies, and threats of physical harm. Families inside Saudi Arabia are often exploited as leverage to intimidate those who have fled. These extraterritorial tactics underline the urgent need for robust international action to hold the Saudi government accountable for its transnational repression.
A Call for Collective Action
Together for Justice calls on the Saudi authorities to take meaningful steps toward justice, including the immediate release of all political detainees, the cessation of enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests, and the guarantee of fair trials. The international community must intensify its efforts to hold Saudi Arabia accountable and protect dissidents and detainees from ongoing violations.
Achieving justice is not a temporary endeavor—it is a sustained fight that demands unwavering commitment. Together, we must work toward a future where no one is imprisoned for their beliefs, and where the principles of human rights and freedom are upheld in Saudi Arabia and beyond.