Freedom of expression is a fundamental right guaranteed by international conventions, however many Saudi activists and bloggers are paying the price for exercising this right, especially when they criticise normalization with the Israeli occupation.
The Saudi activist and blogger Dawoud Al-Ali spent four years in prison for publishing tweets on “X” rejecting normalization, and calling on the Saudi regime to stick to its historical position on the Palestinian cause.
After his arbitrary arrest, Al-Ali was subjected to a secret trial that lacked the most basic standards of a fair trial. In 2022, the Specialised Criminal Court issued an unjust sentence to imprison him for 25 years.
Saudi prisons are holding many prisoners of conscience due to their anti-normalization positions, including Mohammed Al-Rabeeah, Rakan Al-Asiri, Maha Al-Rifaidi, Ahmed Al-Suwaian, Abdullah Al-Yahya, Abdulaziz Al-Tarifi, Saad bin Matar Al-Otaibi, Saleh Al-Talib, Abdulaziz Al-Awda, Omar Napoli, Jameel Al-Farsi, and Hamoud bin Ali Al-Omari.
The arrest of individuals due to their political opinions and positions represents a flagrant violation of human rights and freedom of expression. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia must be made, in addition to opening an urgent investigation into the violations to which they were subjected, holding those responsible accountable, and ensuring the right of individuals to express their opinions without fear of repression or arrest.
