Saudi Arabia: Journalist Sultan Al-Jumairi forcibly disappeared for five years
In September 2018, the Saudi security services arrested the engineer and journalist Dr. Sultan Al-Jumairi immediately upon his arrival in Saudi Arabia, returning from Canada. Since then, no information has been released about his fate or health situation after local authorities refused to disclose his whereabouts.
Dr. Sultan Al-Jumairi is one of the Saudi reformists who advocates for public freedoms and human rights. However, the Saudi authorities considered him a threat to the Kingdom’s stability and security.
Sultan Al-Jumairi is a Saudi writer and journalist who worked as editor-in-chief of the electronic newspaper Al-Rateeb. He also holds a doctorate in software engineering and has many books related to reform and societal progress.
As per individuals acquainted with the situation, Al-Jumairi was deceived by the authorities into coming back to the nation, and when he reached the airport, he was taken into custody. Since then, he has been held in an unknown location as part of the Saudi bullying policy.
Together for Justice strongly condemns all forms of enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention, holding the Saudi government responsible for political prisoners’ safety.
The right organisation also holds the Saudi authorities responsible for the safety of Dr. Sultan Al-Jumairi, cautioning against pressuring him into signing confessions to crimes he is unaware of or coercing him into making statements under torture.
Violating individuals’ rights to freedom and security constitutes a clear violation of international law and international human rights standards. The Saudi government must ensure justice for all victims of these violations and their access to all their rights and ensure that such practices are not repeated in the future.
Together for Justice calls on the international community to move forward to put an end to enforced disappearance, torture, and arbitrary detention, and to clarify the fate of all those forcibly disappeared in the Saudi Kingdom. It also called for holding those responsible for these violations to legal accountability.
