Seven Years of Injustice: The Unlawful Detention and Torture of Saudi Thinker Hassan Farhan Al-Maliki

As Saudi Arabia projects an image of reform and modernisation under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the grim reality of its human rights record tells a starkly different story. One such story is that of Hassan Farhan Al-Maliki, a prominent Saudi reformist thinker, who has been languishing in prison for nearly seven years without a fair trial. His prolonged detention and the inhumane treatment he has endured highlight the deep-seated repression that still pervades the Kingdom, despite its claims of progress.

Arbitrary Arrest and Baseless Charges
Al-Maliki was arrested in September 2017 as part of a sweeping crackdown on intellectuals, activists, and human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia. This wave of arrests was a calculated move by the Saudi authorities to silence any form of dissent or critical thought that threatened the regime’s narrative. Al-Maliki’s so-called crimes? Possessing “banned books” and advocating for political reform and democracy—actions that, in any free and just society, would be celebrated, not criminalised.
For over a year, Al-Maliki was held in arbitrary detention, without being charged or given access to a fair trial. It was not until October 2018 that he was finally brought before the Specialised Criminal Court, a body notorious for its harsh sentences and lack of due process, where he was slapped with a series of charges under Saudi Arabia’s draconian anti-terrorism law. The charges, devoid of any legitimate legal basis, are a blatant act of retaliation against a man whose only “crime” was to think and express freely.
A Mockery of Justice
The treatment of Al-Maliki within the Saudi judicial system is nothing short of a mockery of justice. His trial has been postponed more than 16 times, a clear tactic to prolong his suffering and deny him any semblance of a fair hearing. Throughout his detention, Al-Maliki has been subjected to severe human rights abuses, including torture, solitary confinement, and the denial of basic rights such as access to legal representation and communication with his family. For long periods, even the case file was kept out of his reach, further stripping him of any opportunity to defend himself.
In a move that defies both logic and justice, the Saudi Public Prosecution has called for the death penalty against Al-Maliki—not for acts of violence or endangering public safety, but simply for owning books that challenge the regime’s ideology and for advocating political reform. These charges are as absurd as they are unjust, serving only to highlight the Saudi regime’s deep-seated fear of intellectual freedom and dissent.
The Hypocrisy of Reform
The plight of Hassan Farhan Al-Maliki stands in stark contrast to the rhetoric of reform that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has championed on the international stage. The Crown Prince has repeatedly claimed to be steering Saudi Arabia towards a more moderate form of Islam and away from the extremism that has long plagued the region. Yet, the reality is that his regime is imprisoning, torturing, and threatening to execute individuals like Al-Maliki—whose only offense is to call for the very reforms that the Crown Prince publicly espouses.
This hypocrisy is not lost on the international community, which has grown increasingly wary of the Crown Prince’s claims. While the Saudi government touts its Vision 2030 plan as a roadmap to modernisation, the continued repression of free thought and expression paints a picture of a nation still mired in the darkness of authoritarianism.
A Call for International Action
The case of Hassan Farhan Al-Maliki is not an isolated one. Scores of other intellectuals, religious scholars, activists, and ordinary citizens have been swept up in the same wave of repression that began in 2017. Among them is the renowned Islamic scholar Salman al-Ouda, who, like Al-Maliki, faces the death penalty on similarly baseless charges related to his peaceful expression of views.
The international community must not remain silent in the face of these egregious human rights violations. Governments, human rights organisations, and civil society groups must urgently call for the immediate release of Hassan Farhan Al-Maliki and all others who have been unjustly detained in Saudi Arabia. It is imperative that Saudi Arabia be held accountable for its actions and pressured to cease its relentless persecution of those who dare to think differently.
True reform in Saudi Arabia will only come when the voices of thinkers, scholars, and activists are not only tolerated but encouraged. The global community must stand in solidarity with those like Hassan Farhan Al-Maliki, who risk their lives for the fundamental right to free expression. Until then, the promise of a “new” Saudi Arabia will remain nothing more than empty rhetoric, overshadowed by the stark reality of its ongoing repression.