The health condition of Awad Al Qarni, a prominent Saudi cleric arrested in late 2017, has deteriorated markedly following more than four years behind bars.
Al-Qarni, who faces the death penalty, has been suffering from slipped discs due to the deliberate medical negligence in Saudi jails.
He has been denied from the adequate medical treatment despite his life-threatening health situation.
Al-Qarni was one of several preachers, academics and writers arrested during the 2017 crackdown on dissent voices in the kingdom.
The same crackdown also saw the arrest of prominent Saudi preacher Salman al-Ouda, described by UN experts as a reformist.
Al Qarni and al-Ouda’s ongoing detention comes amid intense global criticism of Saudi crackdown against rights activists and scholars.
