Alkarama welcomes the recent release of Waleed Al Dod Al Mekki Al Hussain, a Sudanese national who was arrested by the Saudi General Intelligence forces on 23 July 2015. According to Al Hussain’s family, his activities as founder and editor of Sudanese government critical online news site Al Rakoba were the cause for his arrest. Before his release, Al Hussain, who has been living in Saudi Arabia for 15 years, was told by the prison authorities that he would be deported to Sudan. But he feared to be subjected to further persecution, torture and execution, as he has received numerous threats from the Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) since the foundation of Al Rakoba.
While Alkarama welcomes his release, we will continue to follow Al Hussain’s case closely as it is not clear whether criminal proceedings against him are still ongoing. It should be noted that as party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT), Saudi Arabia must not expel or extradite any person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture. Alkarama also recalls that on 22 and 25 April 2016, Saudi Arabia will be reviewed for the first time by the UN Committee against Torture (CAT), which will assess the country's compliance with its obligations under the UNCAT. In view of this review, Alkarama will provide the UN experts with an extensive report on the systematic practice of torture in the country and will brief the CAT members on its key concerns.
For more information or an interview, please contact the media team at media@alkarama.org (Dir: +41 22 734 1008).