The Washington Center for Human Rights is deeply concerned about the continued detention of human rights activist Saad Almadi in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Almadi has been arbitrarily detained since September 2018 and has endured numerous human rights violations, including torture and ill-treatment during his detention. The Washington Center for Human Rights is calling on the United States government to take urgent action and pressure Saudi Arabia to immediately release Mr. Almadi and drop all charges against him.
Saad Almadi is a human rights defender and a member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA). He has been actively involved in advocating for human rights and democracy in Saudi Arabia for over a decade. In 2012, he was detained for six months without charges after he criticized the Saudi government’s human rights record in an interview with the BBC. In September 2018, Mr. Almadi was arrested along with a group of activists, including women’s rights defenders, during a government crackdown on peaceful dissent. He has been held in pretrial detention since then.
Mr. Almadi has been subjected to numerous human rights violations during his detention, including torture and ill-treatment, denial of access to medical care, and prolonged solitary confinement. He has been held incommunicado for extended periods, and his family and lawyers have been prevented from visiting him. In August 2020, the Saudi authorities transferred Mr. Almadi to the Al-Ha’ir political prison, where he remains to date.
The continued detention of Mr. Almadi is a clear violation of international human rights law and Saudi Arabia’s own laws. The Saudi government is obligated to ensure that all individuals are protected from torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners also prohibit prolonged solitary confinement and require that all prisoners have access to medical care and communication with their families and lawyers.
The Washington Center for Human Rights urges the United States government to take immediate action and pressure the Saudi government to release Saad Almadi and drop all charges against him. The US government must demand that Saudi authorities ensure that all detainees are protected from torture and other forms of ill-treatment and that their basic rights, including access to medical care and communication with their families and lawyers, are respected.
The US government has a responsibility to use its influence and leverage to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its human rights violations. The Biden administration has expressed its commitment to promoting human rights and democracy around the world, and it must now act on this commitment by demanding the release of Saad Almadi and other prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia.
The Washington Center for Human Rights calls on the US government to take the following steps:
- Publicly call for the immediate and unconditional release of Saad Almadi and all other prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia.
- Pressure the Saudi government to ensure that all detainees, including Saad Almadi, are protected from torture and other forms of ill-treatment, and that their basic rights, including access to medical care and communication with their families and lawyers, are respected.
- Suspend all arms sales and military aid to Saudi Arabia until the Saudi government takes concrete steps to improve its human rights record, including the release of Saad Almadi and other prisoners of conscience.
- Work with international partners to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its human rights violations, including through the UN Human Rights Council and other multilateral institutions.
In conclusion, the Washington Center for Human Rights is deeply concerned about the continued detention of Saad Almadi and the human rights violations he has endured during his detention. The US government has
a responsibility to stand up for human rights and democracy, and to use its influence to pressure Saudi Arabia to release Saad Almadi immediately and unconditionally.
We call upon the US government to take swift and decisive action to demand the release of Saad Almadi, and to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its flagrant human rights abuses. The US government should use all diplomatic channels available to pressure Saudi Arabia to end its systematic repression of dissent, release all political prisoners, and respect the fundamental rights of its citizens.
The Washington Center for Human Rights also urges the international community to speak out against the human rights abuses committed by Saudi Arabia, and to support efforts to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its actions. We call upon all governments to pressure Saudi Arabia to respect human rights and democratic values, and to hold the Saudi government accountable for its human rights violations.
We will continue to monitor the situation of Saad Almadi closely, and will work tirelessly to secure his release and to hold those responsible for his detention and torture accountable. We stand in solidarity with Saad Almadi, his family, and all those who are unjustly detained and abused by the Saudi government. We will not rest until justice is served and human rights are respected in Saudi Arabia and around the world.