Saudi Human Rights Defender Abdullah Al-Attawi Remains Detained Despite Completing His Prison Sentence
Together for Justice expresses grave concern over the continued detention of Saudi human rights defender Abdullah Al-Attawi, who remains imprisoned despite having fully completed his court-imposed sentence more than a year ago. As of January 2026, Al-Attawi has no legal grounds for continued detention, making his imprisonment a clear case of arbitrary deprivation of liberty.
Al-Attawi was arrested in September 2017 due to his peaceful human rights activities, particularly his role as a co-founder of the Union for Human Rights Association, an independent organization established in Riyadh in 2013. The association advocated for fundamental rights, including the abolition of the death penalty and the advancement of women’s rights—activities that fall squarely within internationally protected freedoms.
On 25 January 2018, the Specialized Criminal Court sentenced Al-Attawi to seven years in prison on the charge of “establishing an unlicensed organization.” The trial failed to meet basic fair-trial standards and formed part of a broader crackdown on independent civil society. His co-founder, fellow human rights defender Mohammad Al-Otaibi, was simultaneously sentenced to 14 years in prison under the same case, highlighting the collective punishment imposed on rights advocates.
Throughout his detention, Al-Attawi was subjected to multiple violations, including ill-treatment, denial of legal representation, restricted family contact, and medical neglect. These abuses compounded the injustice of his conviction and reflect a broader pattern of mistreatment against human rights defenders in Saudi custody.
Despite completing his full sentence in September 2024, Saudi authorities have refused to release Al-Attawi. His continued detention beyond the expiry of his sentence has no legal justification under Saudi law or international human rights standards and constitutes arbitrary detention under international law.
The prolonged imprisonment of Abdullah Al-Attawi demonstrates a systematic policy of suppressing independent human rights work and punishing activists even after judicial sentences have been served. Such practices violate the principles of legality, due process, and the prohibition of arbitrary detention as enshrined in international human rights treaties.
Together for Justice calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Abdullah Al-Attawi and demands an end to the practice of holding prisoners of conscience beyond their sentences. The organization also urges United Nations mechanisms, international human rights bodies, and concerned states to exert sustained pressure on the Saudi authorities to ensure the release of Al-Attawi and all human rights defenders arbitrarily detained in the Kingdom.
Detention after sentence completion is not an administrative delay—it is a deliberate violation of the law. Abdullah Al-Attawi should be free.
