The Release of Prisoners of Conscience Is Only the First Step: True Justice Requires Systemic Reform
The recent release of several prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia is a welcome development, but it does not signify the conclusion of the fight for justice. Arbitrary detention has deprived these individuals of years of their lives, and their release alone cannot erase the grave injustices they endured. True justice demands full accountability for those responsible for these violations, compensation for the years lost in unjust imprisonment, and meaningful reforms to prevent such abuses from recurring. Furthermore, these releases must not serve as a diversion from the plight of those who remain unjustly detained, many of whom continue to endure inhumane conditions, enforced disappearances, or deeply flawed judicial proceedings that fail to meet international standards of due process.
In recent months, Saudi authorities have released a number of detainees, including academic and human rights defender Mohammed Al-Qahtani, who was freed in January 2025 after 10 years of imprisonment, and lawyer and activist Issa Al-Nukhaifi, who was released the same month after 6 years of unjust detention. Others released include lawyer and rights advocate Ibrahim Al-Mudimeegh, student Salma Al-Shehab, who was freed in February 2025 following a reduction in her sentence, and activist Abdulaziz Al-Oudah, who spent more than 5 years in prison for peacefully expressing his views.
While these releases are a step in the right direction, they do not constitute the fulfillment of justice. Many former detainees continue to face restrictive post-release measures, including travel bans, asset freezes, house arrest, and prohibitions on the use of social media, effectively prolonging their punishment beyond the prison walls. Such measures must be lifted immediately to ensure that their release is genuine and unconditional.
Moreover, the release of select individuals must not be used as a means to deflect attention from the thousands of others who remain behind bars. A true commitment to justice requires a broader effort to end the widespread and systematic repression of free expression and peaceful dissent in Saudi Arabia. This includes revoking vaguely worded laws that criminalize criticism of the state, reforming the prison system to prevent abuse, dismantling counterterrorism courts that have been weaponized against human rights defenders, and ensuring full adherence to international legal norms.
Justice is not achieved through selective releases; it requires a fundamental transformation of policies and institutions that have enabled these violations. Until all prisoners of conscience are freed, accountability is ensured, and structural reforms are implemented, Saudi Arabia’s human rights crisis will remain unresolved.
