This week marks eight years since prominent human rights defender Issa al-Hamid was detained in Saudi prisons, under harsh conditions of imprisonment that continue to raise serious concern for his physical and psychological wellbeing.
Al-Hamid is one of the founders of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (HASM). He was arrested on 16 September 2017 as part of the sweeping crackdown that targeted dozens of academics and activists.
A Saudi court sentenced al-Hamid to 11 years in prison, followed by a travel ban of the same length, in addition to a fine of 100,000 Saudi riyals. His conviction rested on vague charges, such as “membership in an unlicensed association,” “communicating with foreign parties,” and “disrupting public order.” These charges starkly violated the principles of justice and effectively criminalised his peaceful activism.
He is held in Buraydah Prison in al-Qassim, where he endures prolonged solitary confinement, denial of regular contact with his family and lawyer, and conditions that exacerbate concerns of systematic violations of his basic rights.
The targeting of Issa al-Hamid is not isolated. His brother, Abdullah al-Hamid — one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent reform advocates — died in detention in 2020 due to deliberate medical neglect. Another brother, Abdulrahman al-Hamid, also remains behind bars, serving a nine-year sentence for his rights work. This pattern reflects a systematic policy of repression aimed at silencing reformists and deterring any independent voice.
Al-Hamid’s arrest and trial constitute a direct violation of his rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly — rights guaranteed under the international treaties ratified by Saudi Arabia. His continued imprisonment, denial of a fair trial, and inability to defend himself against arbitrary charges place his case firmly within the framework of arbitrary detention.
Eight years of imprisonment are enough to reveal that Issa al-Hamid’s case is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a broader policy targeting the entire human rights movement in Saudi Arabia. His continued detention stands as a serious stain on the justice system and underscores the urgent need for his release, as demanded by fundamental human values before anything else.
