Eleven months ago, Saudi Arabia arrested the engineer, Ali Mazyad, who holds Lebanese citizenship and has been forcibly disappeared since that moment.
Mazyad (January 11, 1964) has been working as an engineer in Saudi Arabia for more than 18 years. On August 8, 2021, Mazyad's family suddenly lost contact with him, and after communicating with eyewitnesses, they learned that 7 men in civilian clothes entered his house in Riyadh, and took him with them after a thorough search and confiscation of electronic devices. Through Mezyad friends in Riyadh, his family tried to find out his whereabouts, through the police station, to no avail.
The family contacted the Lebanese embassy in Riyadh, after several official correspondences. The family received unofficial information that Mazyad is being detained by State Security for security reasons, without any additional information. Although 11 months have passed since his disappearance, he has not communicated with his family, and no official Saudi body has contacted them.
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights states that the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance defines enforced disappearance as "any form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the State or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorization, support or acquiescence of the State, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person, which place such a person outside the protection of the law.” Accordingly, the Lebanese citizen, Ali Mazyad, is subjected to enforced disappearance with indifference from the various security authorities in Saudi Arabia or interaction with his family inquiries about him. While torture is a widespread practice in Saudi Arabia, concerns for physical and health safety are escalating further in this case.
The Working Group on Enforced Disappearances had indicated that Saudi Arabia “does not have specific legal provisions criminalising enforced disappearance and the existing legislation fails to offer sufficient protection against this crime.” The Special Rapporteur on protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms whilst countering terrorism also emphasized that the Anti-Terrorism Law enables investigators to detain individuals for up to 60 days while depriving them of their right to communicate.
The organization points out that the disappearance of Mazyad for nearly a year is a flagrant violation of human rights and international laws, and raises serious concerns for Mazyed's life.
ESOHR explains that the Saudi government is practicing widespread violations against foreigners, who currently constitute approximately 36% of its population. Despite the amendments to labor regulations, the notorious sponsorship system is still applied to many professions, including domestic workers, drivers, and guards, and foreigners are subjected to enforced disappearance and deprived of their right to communicate with families or consulates. In addition to arbitrary detention and unfair sentences without adequate legal protection.
ESOHR asserts that the 11-month disappearance of Ali Mazyad is a flagrant violation of local and international laws. She notes that based on the course of violations in Saudi Arabia, enforced disappearance is a prelude to grave violations, including torture, ill-treatment, unfair trial, and arbitrary sentences. The organization also makes it clear that foreigners in Saudi Arabia are victims of flaws in the judicial system, which legitimizes, allows, or condones abuses. The organization stresses that the only remedy is to release Mazyad immediately, compensate him for the enforced disappearance he has been subjected to, and ensure that he receives a fair trial (in case the charges are brought against him that deserve a trial).