The Enforced Disappearance of Fahd Ramadan: Health in Jeopardy Amid Saudi Arabia’s Crackdown on Pilgrims
Fahd Ramadan, a Yemeni national with Dutch citizenship, has been forcibly disappeared in Saudi Arabia since November 20, 2023, shortly after arriving in the kingdom to perform Umrah. Despite nearly a year in detention, he has not been granted a trial or charged with a specific offense. His health is in peril as he suffers from worsening diabetes, exacerbated by the alleged deliberate medical neglect he faces in custody. Ramadan’s case, troubling as it is, represents only one example in Saudi Arabia’s escalating pattern of detaining pilgrims and religious visitors.
Ramadan’s detention followed a social media campaign incited by Saudi government-affiliated trolls after private WhatsApp conversations criticizing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were leaked. Authorities acted swiftly, seizing him within a day of his arrival. His ongoing detention without due process and limited contact with his family has caused deep concern over his physical well-being and safety, reflecting the kingdom’s broader disregard for international human rights standards.
Saudi authorities have similarly targeted numerous other individuals undertaking religious pilgrimages. Among them is Abdulrahman Morsi, an Egyptian citizen known as “Zelzal Al-Sa’eed,” who was detained in October 2023 while performing Umrah. Another, Dr. Abdullah Faisal Al-Ahdal, was also taken into custody in November 2023. Both remain detained under similar circumstances, subjected to the same repressive measures without clear charges or access to legal rights.
Egyptian lawyer Islam Sobhi is another example of the kingdom’s increasing surveillance and suppression of expression. Following his Hajj pilgrimage, Sobhi shared a video exposing the lack of medical care for sick pilgrims, only to find himself detained soon afterward. His case, along with the disappearances of Ramadan, Morsi, and Al-Ahdal, emphasizes Saudi Arabia’s intolerance for even the mildest critique, going so far as to monitor and penalize foreign visitors in the kingdom.
The enforced disappearance of Fahd Ramadan and others reveals a deeply troubling trend: Saudi Arabia’s use of intimidation and detention to silence those exercising freedom of speech, even within private circles. Immediate action is essential to prevent further abuses and protect the fundamental rights of pilgrims and religious visitors. The international community must pressure the Saudi government to release Fahd Ramadan, and all other prisoners of conscience held under similar conditions.
