Time Has Come for Saudi writer Abdullah Al-Maliki’s Release

Leading human rights defender, academic and writer Abdullah al-Maliki was arrested in the 2017 Saudi crackdown on dozens of religious figures, writers, journalists, academics and civic activists.

His arrest came only a few days after posting a tweet slamming the authoritarian regime in the Saudi Kingdom.

Abdullah Al-Maliki is one of the most prominent Saudi writers and bloggers, who have tens of thousands of followers on social media platforms. He is one of the most known influencers for the young generation. He was also among the strong opposers of Saudi normalisation with the Israeli occupation.

Several years on, Al-Maliki was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in a trial that failed to meet international fair trial standards, where he was denied the right to defence.

He was held behind Saudi bars for fabricated and baseless charges including “inciting public opinion, defending members of the ACPRA, and possessing unauthorized books.”

The kingdom’s image is a crucial part of its bid to attract investment for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious Vision 2030 reform program.

However, under Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the monarchy continues its crackdown on the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

The international community must intervene immediately to pressure Saudi authorities by all possible means to release all political detainees arbitrary held in Saudi jails.