Saudi Authorities Must Release Nourah Al-Qahtani Immediately Amid Deteriorating Health and Prolonged Solitary Confinement
Together for Justice expresses its deep concern over the ongoing detention of Saudi activist and mother of five, Nourah bint Saeed Al-Qahtani, who has now been held in solitary confinement for over eight consecutive months. Her health is reportedly in sharp decline, and she remains cut off from her family and legal support.
Al-Qahtani, 51, was sentenced in 2022 to 45 years in prison—later reduced to 35—on charges related to anonymous social media posts that criticised the Saudi authorities and called for the release of political prisoners. These charges were brought under the kingdom’s counterterrorism laws, which have increasingly been weaponised to suppress peaceful expression and dissent.
Her retrial in September 2024 upheld the severe sentencing, despite international condemnation and repeated calls for her release. Al-Qahtani now faces 35 years of imprisonment and an equal number of years under a travel ban, all stemming from digital speech that posed no threat to public safety.
This ruling stands as yet another grim illustration of how the Saudi regime systematically punishes reformist voices—especially women—while claiming progress on human rights. It comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump visited the kingdom and secured multi-billion dollar deals, in a clear signal that international partnerships continue to prioritise profits over principles, turning a blind eye to abuses like Al-Qahtani’s.
Together for Justice strongly condemns this politically motivated sentence and the continued mistreatment of Al-Qahtani in solitary confinement. Her detention violates the absolute international prohibition against torture and degrading treatment, and disregards every standard of fair trial and due process.
We call on the international community—especially Saudi Arabia’s Western allies—to speak up and act. Silence in the face of injustice is complicity. It is time for concrete pressure, not polite diplomacy.
We demand:
- The immediate and unconditional release of Nourah Al-Qahtani.
- Urgent medical care and an end to her solitary confinement.
- Independent investigation into her trial and prison conditions.
- An end to the criminalisation of peaceful expression in Saudi Arabia.
Nourah is not a criminal—she is a mother, a citizen, and a voice for justice. Her imprisonment is a stain on the conscience of every state that continues to trade and ally with a regime that jails women for words.
