Despite the recent orders of the Saudi judicial inquiry for the release of two detainees, arrested for trying to organize a peaceful demonstration in early January 2009, the Executive Authorities in Saudi Arabia represented by the General Investigative Services have refused to comply with the orders of the judiciary, and insist on the arbitrary detention of a number of persons who tried to organize the demonstration, including Mr Khalid Suleiman Al-‘Omeir and Mr Mohammad Al-Oteibi, who were arrested six months without ever facing any legal proceedings.
On 10 June 2009, the Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted the Working Group's report on Saudi Arabia. During their fourth session of the Universal Periodic Review (2-13 February 2009) the human rights situation in Iraq was also discussed.
Alkarama was informed that Abdullah Al-Souidani was released on May 31 2009. The Qatari citizen was stopped at the border between Qatar and Saudi Arabia on 9 May 2009. He was held incommunicado at the Al-Hayr prison without his family being able to reach him. Finally released, he was able to return to Qatar.
Alkarama sought the intervention of the Special Rapporteur on Torture, requesting him to intervene with Saudi authorities.
Abdullah Al-Souidani, a Qatari national, was arrested on 9 May 2009 on the border with Saudi Arabia where he was planning a visit. He is being held in Al-Hayr prison since without his family being able to receive news of his condition.
On 20 May 2009 Alkarama sent a communication to the Special Rapporteur on Torture, asking him to urgently intervene with the Saudi authorities, due to the risk of torture people run when held incommunicado.
Alkarama was informed of opinion 31/2008 issued by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in November 2008, which described the detention of Abdel Rahman Samara as arbitrary.
Dr. Al-Basher, professor at the University of Riyadh, where he resides, has been detained incommunicado since 15 March 2007. For two years, other than a single visit, his family knows nothing of his future. Al-Karama sent on 14 April 2009 an urgent appeal to the Rapporteur on torture and requested the Working Group on arbitrary detention, asking them to intervene with Saudi authorities.
Al-Karama has been informed that when Khaled Al-Rashed, a member of the so-called "reformers", appealed his prison sentence, it was immediately tripled. He was arrested in 2006 and sentenced to 5 years' imprisonment in a trial held behind closed doors.
He appealed this decision at the Hay'at Al-Tamyz court, which was acting as a court of appeal in this case.
Al-Karama recently received the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention's opinion 37/2008 dated 21 November 2008 regarding the arrest and detention of Dr.
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has informed Al-Karama of opinion 36/2008, of 21 November 2008, in which it finds serious violations of the rights of Dr. Said bin Mubarak bin Zair, secretly detained since his arrest on June 6 2007 by the intelligence services.
On 2 November 2008, Thamer Al-Matiri, a Kuwaiti citizen, was arrested without a warrant by the Saudi intelligence services (Al-Mabahit Al-Aama) 2008 at Jeddah airport. Al-Karama informed the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of this on 27 March 2009, asking it to intercede with the Saudi authorities.
Thamer Rekhis Eid Al-Matiri, aged 27, is an official at the Ministry of Information in Kuwait, where he lives.
