Saudi Regime Continues to Hold Dr. Amer Al-Almai in Enforced Disappearance After He Completed His Sentence
Together for Justice expresses grave concern over the continued detention and enforced disappearance of Saudi physician Amer Al‑Almai, despite the fact that he completed his prison sentence more than two years ago.
Dr. Al-Almai was due to be released in September 2023 after serving a reduced sentence of four and a half years, lowered from an original sentence of nine and a half years. Nevertheless, Saudi authorities have refused to release him and have continued to hold him without any legal justification. His family has been denied information regarding his whereabouts or legal status and has been unable to communicate with him, placing him in a situation that constitutes enforced disappearance under international law.
Dr. Al-Almai was arrested in March 2019 after security forces raided his home in the city of Abha, as part of a broader crackdown targeting scholars, intellectuals, and reform-minded figures. Following his arrest, he was forcibly disappeared for several months, denied access to legal counsel, and subjected to physical and psychological abuse. He was later brought before a court in proceedings that failed to meet basic standards of fairness and due process. He was not allowed to review the charges against him in advance, nor was credible evidence presented to justify his prosecution.
Despite the politically motivated nature of the case and the absence of substantive evidence, the court imposed a lengthy prison sentence and financial penalties. Even after completing the imposed term, Saudi authorities have continued to detain Dr. Al-Almai without charge, order, or explanation, effectively nullifying their own judicial rulings and demonstrating contempt for the rule of law.
The continued detention of Dr. Al-Almai after the expiration of his sentence reflects a systematic policy employed by Saudi authorities against prisoners of conscience. Judicial proceedings are used as a procedural façade, while real power remains with security bodies that arbitrarily decide who remains imprisoned, regardless of court decisions. Such practices strip the judiciary of any independence and transform it into an extension of the security apparatus.
Dr. Al-Almai is not a criminal nor an instigator of violence. He is a specialist in internal medicine, a former mosque preacher, and a humanitarian volunteer who devoted significant efforts to assisting displaced families and individuals in need. His arrest was reportedly linked to his peaceful expression of opinion and his humanitarian support for families of Palestinian detainees—activities that fall squarely within the protected realm of freedom of expression and humanitarian work.
Reports indicate that his detention conditions, like those of many prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia, fall far below international standards. Detainees are subjected to ill-treatment, denial of adequate medical care, severe restrictions on family contact, and the constant threat of indefinite detention through administrative measures. The continued disappearance of Dr. Al-Almai underscores a broader reality in which legal safeguards are selectively applied and routinely overridden by political considerations.
Together for Justice strongly condemns the ongoing enforced disappearance of Dr. Amer Al-Almai and calls for his immediate and unconditional release. The organisation further demands full disclosure of his whereabouts, guarantees for his physical and psychological safety, and accountability for those responsible for his unlawful detention.
The case of Amer Al-Almai is not an isolated incident; it is emblematic of a broader phase in which the law is subordinated to repression and independent voices are silenced through fear and indefinite detention. Continued international silence in the face of such violations amounts to complicity. Justice cannot be postponed, freedom cannot be bargained away, and fundamental rights do not expire with time.
