Saudi Arabia: Lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair detained for 11 years for his commitment to human rights
3 May 2025
The OIAD expresses its deepest concern over the extended detention of prominent Saudi lawyer and human rights defender Waleed Abu al-Khair, who has been imprisoned since 15 April 2014 for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression and his profession as a lawyer.
Mr Abu al-Khair is known for his long-standing commitment to the pro-reform movement in Saudi Arabia. He is particularly committed to justice, the independence of the judiciary, institutional transparency and the recognition of civil and political rights.
Mr Abu al-Khair is also the founder of the organisation Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia and defended blogger Raif Badawi, a symbol of the repression of freedom of expression in the Kingdom.
In 2014, the lawyer was arrested for refusing to give up his activism. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, banned from travelling for 15 years, heavily fined and had his awareness-raising platforms shut down following an unfair trial. He was convicted of ‘damaging the reputation of the state’ and ‘creating an unauthorised organisation’. These charges are part of a strategy to criminalise the activities of human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia.
As a result of his detention, Mr Abu al-Khair has been subjected to alarming conditions, including denial of medical care, physical violence, solitary confinement, confiscation of his personal belongings and living conditions incompatible with human dignity. He has repeatedly resorted to hunger strikes to denounce this inhumane treatment.
While the Saudi authorities have released several prisoners of conscience in recent months, the failure to take any measures in favour of Waleed Abu al-Khair is unacceptable.
The Observatory calls on the Saudi authorities to release Mr Abu al-Khair immediately and unconditionally.
The Observatory urges the Saudi Arabian government to lift the restrictive measures imposed on Waleed Abu al-Khair and to end the abusive use of anti-terrorism and cybersecurity laws against civil society actors.
The Observatory also seeks that all national legislation be brought into line with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s international human rights commitments.
Sign the petition for the release of Waleed Abu al-Khair: https://chng.it/TrpHWk7RJB
