Amnesty International has issued an urgent call for the release of Fahd Ramadhan, a Yemeni-Dutch national detained in Saudi Arabia since November 20, 2023, without charges, legal representation, or adequate medical care. Ramadhan returned to Saudi Arabia after obtaining asylum in the Netherlands in 2018 and was reportedly summoned by the Criminal Investigation Department before being arrested without explanation or access to legal counsel. According to Amnesty International’s statement, he has been held in incommunicado detention initially and denied meetings with his lawyer, despite his family appointing legal representation on his behalf.
Private Whatsapp messages criticizing the Saudi crown prince are believed to be the reason behind Ramadhan’s arrest, as highlighted by ALQST, an independent human rights organization. Such incidents of arbitrary detention and suppression of freedom of expression are not uncommon in Saudi Arabia. Amnesty International and other watchdogs have often reported similar cases, including the arrest of ten Egyptian Nubian men following what was described as “grossly unfair” trials in October 2022. In another instance in 2023, a man was sentenced to death for his activity on Twitter and YouTube, without access to legal counsel for most of his detainment, as documented by Human Rights Watch.
Officials from the Dutch embassy in Riyadh have been permitted to visit Ramadhan after he obtained Dutch citizenship in late March 2024. However, the ongoing arbitrary detention without due process continues to raise significant concerns in the international community about the rule of law and human rights practices in Saudi Arabia.
The full article can be accessed on JURIST’s website.