Sultan Al-Ajmi: Four Years of Enforced Disappearance for Honoring a Saudi Reformist

Over four years ago, Saudi authorities detained human rights lawyer Sultan Al-Ajmi, subjecting him to enforced disappearance simply for expressing condolences over the death of prominent reformist Abdullah Al-Hamid. Since his arrest in early Ramadan 2020, Al-Ajmi has been held without formal charges, a trial, or access to legal representation. His case exemplifies Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on freedom of expression, where even peaceful gestures of mourning are punished.

Al-Ajmi’s detention followed a social media post mourning Al-Hamid, who died in custody on April 24, 2020, allegedly due to medical neglect in Riyadh’s Al-Ha’ir prison. Al-Hamid, renowned as the “Sheikh of Rights Advocates,” was a leading voice for democratic reform in Saudi Arabia. He tirelessly campaigned for constitutional monarchy and the protection of civil liberties, goals that ultimately led to his imprisonment. After suffering a stroke while incarcerated, Al-Hamid was transferred to a hospital but was not treated until hours later, which activists and rights organizations have called deliberate medical neglect.

Following Al-Hamid’s passing, expressions of grief flooded social media as intellectuals and activists within Saudi Arabia and beyond shared tributes. Al-Ajmi, alongside others like Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Dakhil and writer Aqeel Al-Bahli, published messages honoring Al-Hamid’s legacy. However, Saudi authorities deemed these posts a threat to “national security” and an affront to the kingdom’s ruling system, using counterterrorism laws to justify their arrests. Shortly after his condolence post, Al-Ajmi was detained and has since been held incommunicado, reportedly experiencing severe medical neglect.

Abdullah Al-Hamid’s death—and the subsequent arrests of those who mourned him—illustrate Saudi Arabia’s systematic repression. The authorities’ actions have sent a clear message: dissent, no matter how symbolic or peaceful, will be met with punitive measures. Al-Ajmi’s disappearance is part of a broader pattern of enforced disappearances, secret detentions, and extrajudicial arrests that Saudi authorities continue to employ against activists, journalists, and advocates for reform.

In response to this ongoing human rights crisis, Together for Justice stands with those advocating for the release of Sultan Al-Ajmi and other detainees held for exercising their right to free expression. Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights affirms that “everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression.” Saudi Arabia’s continued detentions violate this principle, undermining the basic rights of individuals who dare to advocate for change.

Together for Justice calls on the international community to hold Saudi authorities accountable for their violations of international law, including the enforced disappearances of Al-Ajmi and countless others. We urge an immediate investigation into these abuses, accountability for those responsible, and the unconditional release of all detainees imprisoned for their peaceful activism.