Saudi authorities released three out of four Yemeni Umrah pilgrims arrested in April 2022. The fourth pilgrim remains in Jeddah's Dhahban prison.
Alkarama confirmed the arrival of the three freed men in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, on Thursday (June 15th). Mr. Abdullah Moqbel Zayed AL OSIMI, Mr. Hemyar Abdullah Moqbel AL OSIMI and Mr. Arhan Moqbel Zayed Moqbel HAMAEELAH were released while Mr. Mahmood Hamid Qaid AL BROUSHI remains in detention. He has not been allowed to contact his family for more than a year.
On 23 May 2023, Alkarama referred the case to the United Nations Special Procedures, including the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, for the case of four Yemeni citizens arrested by police on 23 April 2022 in the Taif region of southern Saudi Arabia. Accused of belonging to the Houthi group in Yemen, the victims were on their way to Mecca to perform "Umrah " rituals.
Background to the case
Mr. Abdullah Moqbel Zayed AL OSIMI, Mr. Hemyar Abdullah Moqbel AL OSIMI, Mr. Mahmood Hamid Qaid AL BROUSHI and Mr. Arhan Moqbel Zayed Moqbel HAMAEELAH were all granted official visas to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
On April 23, 2022, while on their way to Mecca, five police cars suddenly stopped their vehicle in the Aqbat in Al-Hada area of Taif governorate. No explanation was provided for their arrest and no arrest warrant was notified. They were taken to al-Faisaliyah police station, where they were told they were suspected of belonging to the Houthi group.
After 38 days of incommunicado detention, during which they were subjected to torture and inhuman and degrading treatment, they were transferred on 30 May 2022 to Al-Masara Central Prison in Taif before being transferred to Dhahban Prison in Jeddah on 22 June 2022. The victims were only allowed to contact their families after arriving at al-Masara Central Prison in Taif. The four men only received their first family visit at Jeddah's Dhahban prison.
UN Special Procedures contacted by Alkarama
Mandated by the families, Alkarama contacted the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention , the Special Rapporteur on minority issues and the Special Rapporteurs on torture and freedom of belief to urge Saudi Arabia to immediately and unconditionally release the four victims.
Three of them were released, while the fourth (Mahmood Hamid Qaid AL BROUSHI) remains arbitrarily detained. He has been denied access to his family for more than a year. Only one of his relative was able to visit him at the end of December 2023.
Increasing arrests of pilgrims during Umrah
Alkarama is particularly concerned about the repeated arrests of pilgrims in recent years.
Lastly, Saudi police arrested two Chinese pilgrims of Uighur origin, Aimidoula WAILI and Nuermaimaiti RUZE, living in Istanbul, Turkey. Their families did not receive any news since their transfer to Riyadh in March 2023. Alkarama therefore launched an urgent appeal to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced Disappearances on 10 May 2023, to clarify their fate.
Alkarama, while stressing the need to respect religious freedom and the safety of pilgrimages to Islamic holy sites in Saudi Arabia, will not hesitate to raise this issue at the upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Saudi Arabia to be held before the United Nations Human Rights Council.