Suleiman bin Saleh: Nearly Ten Years in Saudi Detention Amid Reports of Electric-Shock Torture and Forced Confessions
Together for Justice renews its call for the immediate and unconditional release of Saudi scholar and family counsellor Sheikh Suleiman bin Saleh, who has been detained since 2016 and reportedly subjected to serious human rights violations, including electric-shock torture, solitary confinement, and enforced disappearance.
Before his arrest, Suleiman bin Saleh was known for his contributions to education, religious scholarship, and family counselling. He held advanced academic qualifications and spent approximately fifteen years working in education, alongside his involvement in charitable initiatives and community programmes.
According to human rights reports, Suleiman bin Saleh was subjected to physical and psychological torture during detention, including electric shocks intended to extract forced confessions. He was also reportedly held in solitary confinement and forcibly disappeared for approximately two years, during which information about his whereabouts and detention conditions was withheld.
These allegations raise serious concerns about his treatment and the fairness of any judicial proceedings against him. Torture and the use of coerced confessions are strictly prohibited under international law, including the UN Convention against Torture, to which Saudi Arabia is a party.
Nearly ten years after his arrest, reliable public information about Suleiman bin Saleh’s current health, legal status, and detention conditions remains limited. This lack of transparency increases concerns about his safety and the authorities’ failure to provide adequate accountability for the violations he reportedly suffered.
Together for Justice stresses that prolonged detention, enforced disappearance, and torture constitute grave violations of fundamental human rights. Every detainee must have access to legal representation, regular communication with family members, appropriate medical care, and effective judicial safeguards.
The organization holds the Saudi authorities fully responsible for Suleiman bin Saleh’s safety and calls for his immediate and unconditional release, full disclosure of his health and legal status, and unrestricted access to his family and lawyer.
Together for Justice also demands an independent investigation into the allegations of electric-shock torture, coerced confessions, solitary confinement, and enforced disappearance, with accountability for all those responsible.
The organization urges relevant United Nations human rights mechanisms to examine his case and press Saudi authorities to uphold their international obligations.
Nearly a decade of detention must not be met with silence. Torture must never go unpunished, and Suleiman bin Saleh must be released.
