The apprehension of a citizen who criticised in front of the crown prince the performance of the Saudi government in dealing with terrorism continues since 5 months

3 July، 2016

Through the course of The Saudi government’s vengeful exercises from those who demand social justice and Human rights defenders, the saudi government continues to apprehend citizen Mohammad Al Abeed, apparently as a revenge from a short discussion he had with The Saudi crown prince and minister of internal affairs Mohammad Ben Nayef.

Al Abeed (October 12, 1978), is a high school teacher at Iben Al-kayem School in Sihat city, Kateef provenience. He was arbitrarily arrested on January 20, 2016 without any former summoning or arrest warrant from inside the school in which he teaches arabic language, after 3 armed individuals from the Saudi General Investigation Directorate barged into the school.

The moment he was arrested several twitter accounts tweeted rumours accusing Al Abeid of arms possession inside his house although security forces never searched his house. These twitter accounts are normally harmonious with the opinion and guidance of the Saudi General Investigation Directorate, observers notice that the role of these twitter accounts is sometimes to prepare the public opinion or create impressions that serve the oppression exercised by the ministry of internal affairs.

Al Abeed was prevented from communicating with his family or meeting anyone. But after many appeals from his family to the administration of the Investigation directorate prison in Al-Dammam, he was allowed once a very brief phone call through which his family was informed that he is in the Investigation directorate prison in Al-Dammam, and that he is subjected to torture.

Though he was appointed an attorney, they were not allowed to communicate. Despite the government attempts to draw an efficient image of the place and role of an attorney in its diverse reports to the Human Rights council.

After 77 days of apprehension. On April 7, 2016. Al Abeed called his wife for 5 minutes, and on April 11 was his first family visit. The visit showed that Al Abeed was under severe torture which inflicted a tremendous amount of pain, he had also remarkably lost weight since his apprehension.

Since may 2015, and before his arrest, Al Abeed was exposed to a series of harrasments by the Saudi Authorities on the background of a short conversation he had with the Saudi crown prince Mohammad Ben Nayif.

Mohammad Al Abeed criticised the Saudi government’s performance in dealing with terrorism after the bombing that hit Al-Imam Ali mosque in Al-Kadih City which left 23 casualties, one of them Al Abeed’s brother. And in the middle of a meeting between the families and the crown prince, he told him: “if the state doesn’t perform its role in protecting its citizens, then it is a partner in this misdeed.” The saudi crown prince seemed intolerant to the Al Abeed’s speech, and considered it as incensed, assuring that the state is performing its role and that anyone who tries to perform its role will be questioned.

2 months after this incident the police summoned Al Abeed, and he questioned about his role in organising the burial ceremonies of the terrorist bombings victims. He was asked also about the reason of his speech to the crown prince through the ceremony, Al Abeed assured that it was a reflex after the death of his brother.

Although the Saudi authorities haven’t pressed charges against detainee Mohammad Al Abeed yet, the givings favour that his discussion with the crown prince is the main or only reason, especially that he has no political or rights activity record.

And on the light of the Saudi judicial system’s dependancy, and the wide jurisdiction of the ministry of internal affairs and its minister Mohammad Ben Nayif. The European-Saudi Organisation for Human Rights shows its fears on the fate of citizen Mohammad Al Abeed, and assures that his apprehension included violations to a number of local and international laws.

The European-Saudi Organisation for Human Rights demands the Saudi authorities to guarantee that no detainee is subjected to torture, and calls it for the immediate and unconditional release of detainee Mohammad Al Abeed, and all those who where arrested for expressing their thoughts.

EN