Name: Dr. Saud Mukhtar Al-Hashimi
Field of Work: Academic, physician, and reformist thinker
Date of Arrest: February 2, 2007
Sentence: 30 years in prison, followed by a 30-year travel ban, and a 2 million SAR fine
Current Place of Detention: Dhahban Prison, Jeddah
Charges Against Him:
- Planning to form a political party
- Communicating with foreign entities
- Challenging the ruling authority
Trial and Sentencing Timeline:
- February 2, 2007: Arrested during a raid on a private gathering, where security forces used excessive force
- February 2010: Held in detention without trial for three years before facing the Specialized Criminal Court
- November 22, 2010: Sentenced to 30 years in prison, a 30-year travel ban, and a 2 million SAR fine
Violations:
- Arbitrary Detention: Arrested without legal justification
- Denial of Communication: Deprived of family visits and calls for extended periods
- Unfair Trial:
- Denied legal representation
- Tried in secret sessions without independent observers
- Torture and Ill-Treatment:
- Prolonged solitary confinement in harsh conditions
- Exposure to extreme temperatures without protection
- Forced to stand for hours in painful positions
- Deprived of sleep, food, and essential medication
- Suffered strokes and deteriorating health due to medical neglect
Who is Dr. Saud Mukhtar Al-Hashimi?
Dr. Saud Mukhtar Al-Hashimi is a prominent Saudi academic and reformist thinker who advocated for constitutional monarchy and peaceful political reform. He was part of the Jeddah Reformists, who sought gradual democratic changes in Saudi Arabia, only to be met with brutal repression and imprisonment.
He has now spent 18 years behind bars, subjected to severe torture and medical neglect. His trial was a sham, lacking the basic standards of due process, as he was denied the right to defend himself.
How Can the World Believe Saudi Arabia’s Reform Narrative?
Eighteen years in prison, yet Saudi Arabia continues to market itself as a progressive nation hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup and Expo 2030. How can a country claim “reform and openness” while locking up its brightest minds and intellectuals under brutal conditions?
FIFA and Expo 2030, you are endorsing a regime that systematically uses torture and political imprisonment against its citizens. Is this what you call respect for human rights?
We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Saud Mukhtar Al-Hashimi and an end to the use of prisons as a weapon against reform advocates in Saudi Arabia.