Saudi authorities refuse to release poet Habib bin Mualla, despite serving his prison sentence three years ago
Poet Habib bin Mualla’s prison sentence was set to expire in March 2021, but Saudi authorities have refused to release him without citing any legal reason. They have also declined to answer questions from human rights organisations and the poet’s family about his detention conditions and current legal status.
Habib bin Mualla Al-Mutairi is a Saudi scholar, poet, and criticism professor at Imam Muhammad bin Saud University’s College of Arabic Language. During the September 2017 crackdown campaign that targeted dozens of writers, thinkers, and reformists, he was arrested without judicial permission, after security forces broke into his house and confiscated his books and personal computer. He spent months being held in a solitary cell at Al-Ha’ir prison, denied any family contact.
Dr. Habib was brought before the Specialized Criminal Court without informing his family after multiple sessions devoid of fair trial procedures. The court sentenced him to three and a half years in prison, with the sentence set to expire in March 2021.
Like the other political prisoners held inside the Kingdom, Dr. Habib endured subpar conditions in custody that did not meet international standards. He was subjected to severe abuse. When his sentence came to an end—a decision made by the regime’s politicized judiciary—he was not freed and was left for no reason.
“Together for Justice” reiterates its appeal to good-hearted individuals worldwide and relevant UN authorities to band together in order to put pressure on the Saudi government to free all political and prisoners of conscience as well as to launch thorough investigations into the abuses to which they have been subjected.
We reaffirm that these individuals’ detention was unlawful. Even so, the Saudi authorities attempted to legitimize the situation by prosecuting them; however, those were farcical plays in which the fundamental requirements of justice were not fulfilled. Additionally, the authorities continue to hold these detainees without a court order after the sentence has ended, disregarding the same rulings when they come to an end.
