The Saudi regime is proceeding with its grave violations without any deterrence
The extreme hypocrisy of influential countries and their preference for arms deals led to the persistence of the Saudi regime
Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) held the Saudi authorities responsible for the serious health complications suffered by the detained Saudi preacher Salman Al-Odah, 63, which came as a result of deliberate medical negligence against him. Al-Odah has been detained in solitary confinement for four years now.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Odah, the son of the prominent preacher, tweeted out that his father had lost “almost half of his hearing and eyesight” according to doctors and that he is still being tortured. He also added that that his father’s conviction is bogus; since all he has done was praying for peace and unity of the people, however this costed him his freedom and health.
In September 2017, the Saudi authorities conducted a series of raids, arresting prominent preachers and activists in the country including Salman Al-Odah, Awad Al-Qarni, and Ali Al-Omari on charges of ‘terrorism and conspiracy against the state’. Despite multiple requests by international and non-governmental human rights organisations, Public figures and activists for their release, the Saudi authorities continued their detention and referred them to farcical trails, where the prosecution requested their execution.
AOHR UK confirmed that the systematic medical negligence in Saudi prisons has led to the death of many detainees. It expressed deep concern that Salman Al-Odah might face the same fate, especially as he is subjected to ill-treatment, and he is being deprived from communicating with his family.
AOHR UK stressed that Al-Odah and many detainees like him – including Loujain Al-HAthoul, Nassima Al-Sada, Samar Badawi, Nouf Abdel Aziz, Salah Haidar, Walid Abu Al-Khair, Issam Kohsak, Raef Badawi, Abdel-Rahman Al-sadhan and other foreigners detained within Saudi on political chargers. These detainees are subjected to farcical trails in which accusations are distributed arbitrarily without any merit before a politicised judiciary system.
AOHR UK calls on all activists, writers, journalists and defenders of human rights to priorities the issue of detainees in Saudi prisons and to pressure the Saudi government to immediately release all prisoners of conscience, especially those who suffer from serious health conditions.
