Saudi Regime Withholds Information on the Whereabouts of Detainee Fahd bin Saeed Al-Abdali
Together for Justice expresses grave concern regarding the continued lack of information about the fate and whereabouts of Fahd bin Saeed Al-Abdali, a Saudi detainee who has remained effectively cut off from the outside world for several years. Despite repeated inquiries, no official clarification has been provided concerning his legal status, place of detention, or conditions of confinement.
Credible information indicates that Al-Abdali has been subjected to repeated arrests and frequent transfers between different detention facilities. Such practices are widely recognized as forms of psychological pressure, often used to disorient detainees, obstruct legal follow-up, and prevent sustained contact with families. To date, his family has received no reliable or consistent information regarding his situation.
The sustained refusal by Saudi authorities to acknowledge Al-Abdali’s detention status or disclose his whereabouts meets the legal definition of enforced disappearance under international law. As outlined in the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, enforced disappearance occurs when state authorities detain an individual and subsequently refuse to disclose their fate or location, thereby placing them outside the protection of the law. This violation is continuous in nature and persists for as long as the whereabouts of the individual remains concealed.
Such practices violate multiple fundamental rights, including the prohibition of arbitrary detention, the right to legal safeguards, and the absolute ban on cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. They also inflict severe psychological harm on families, who are left in prolonged uncertainty regarding the safety and wellbeing of their loved ones.
The case of Fahd bin Saeed Al-Abdali reflects a broader pattern of repression in which detainees are not only deprived of liberty but also rendered invisible through systematic secrecy. The absence of transparency undermines the rule of law and contradicts any claims of judicial accountability or institutional reform.
Together for Justice calls on the Saudi authorities to immediately disclose the fate and whereabouts of Fahd bin Saeed Al-Abdali, ensure his physical and psychological safety, and grant him access to legal counsel and family communication. The organization further urges relevant United Nations mechanisms and international human rights bodies to intervene and press for compliance with international obligations regarding enforced disappearance.
The continued concealment of Al-Abdali’s whereabouts is not an administrative failure; it is a serious and ongoing human rights violation. Revealing the truth is a legal obligation that cannot be postponed or ignored.
