Sheikh Ali Badahdah, a faculty member at King Abdulaziz University and a well-known figure in charitable and religious work in Jeddah and across Saudi Arabia, has remained in detention since September 2017 without a publicly disclosed legal basis, formal charges, or a fair judicial process.
Badahdah is an academic and Islamic scholar with a long-standing presence in educational, religious, and humanitarian activities. He holds a doctoral degree in Islamic studies and served for years as a university lecturer and mosque preacher. He is also widely recognised for his involvement in charitable initiatives, following a family tradition of social and humanitarian engagement, particularly in supporting vulnerable communities.
In September 2017, Saudi security forces arrested Sheikh Ali Badahdah and transferred him to detention without presenting a clear arrest warrant or publicly stating the reasons for his arrest. Since then, authorities have failed to provide transparent information regarding the legal grounds for his continued detention. Reports indicate that he was later accused of broad and non-specific offences such as “undermining state security,” “inciting youth,” and “collecting funds,” yet no credible evidence has been publicly disclosed, nor have these allegations been examined through an independent and transparent judicial process.
Since his arrest, Badahdah has spent years in prison without a trial that meets international standards of fairness. He has reportedly been denied full access to legal representation and has not been afforded the opportunity to effectively challenge the accusations against him before an independent court. The absence of a clear verdict or publicly available court ruling has left his legal status undefined, placing him within the framework of arbitrary detention.
His case forms part of a broader pattern of arrests carried out in Saudi Arabia in 2017, which targeted academics, religious figures, and public intellectuals with significant social influence. These arrests were widely viewed as part of a campaign to restrict independent religious discourse and civil society activity through the use of security-related legislation and vague criminal accusations.
The prolonged detention of Sheikh Ali Badahdah without due process constitutes a violation of the right to liberty and security of person, as well as the right to a fair trial, as guaranteed under international human rights law. It also raises serious concerns regarding his physical and psychological well-being, particularly in the absence of transparency surrounding detention conditions and judicial oversight.
Human rights observers continue to call for the immediate clarification of Badahdah’s legal status, full access to legal counsel, and either a fair and public trial before an independent judiciary or his immediate release in the absence of substantiated charges. They further stress the need to end the practice of prolonged detention without due process and to ensure that academic, religious, and charitable activities are not criminalised under vague security pretexts.
The case of Sheikh Ali Badahdah highlights ongoing concerns regarding the use of arbitrary detention against scholars and religious figures in Saudi Arabia and underscores the need for sustained international scrutiny to ensure compliance with fundamental human rights and the rule of law.