Saudi Arabia detentions spark international concerns over freedom of expression News
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Saudi Arabia detentions spark international concerns over freedom of expression

Amnesty International urged Saudi Arabia on Thursday to release individuals who have been detained “solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression online.” Amnesty International stated that the releases must occur before the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which Saudi Arabia will host from December 15 to 19.

The rights group said Saudi Arabia can prove its commitment to respecting and upholding the IGF’s themes by safeguarding online freedom of expression and releasing the detainees from prison. Amnesty International’s Middle East Campaigner Bissan Fakih stated: “Unless all detainees held for online expression are immediately and unconditionally released, the hypocrisy of the authorities will be on full display.”

The forum was developed according to multiple themes, including a focus on “advancing human rights and inclusion in the digital age.” The UN said this theme involves connecting people to help empower the population, especially those from marginalized and vulnerable groups. During the IGF, these groups will learn about the benefits the internet offers and ensure the rights they enjoy offline and also apply online. Amnesty International, however, claimed that Saudi Arabia continues to “lock up, forcibly disappear, and impose decades-long prison sentences and travel bans for people’s online expression.” The rights group emphasized that these actions are not in accordance with the IGF’s stated values.

Amnesty International and 39 other rights organizations previously called for the release of these detained individuals in September. The groups highlighted the case of Osama Khalid, a medical doctor and Wikipedia administrator who is currently serving a 32-year prison sentence based on charges of “swaying public opinion” and “violating public morals.” Sources for DAWN, a nonprofit organization promoting human rights in the region, claimed that the government prosecuted Khalid because he critiqued the Saudi authorities’ persecution of political activists. 

In July, a Saudi court also sentenced Asaad al-Ghamdi to 20 years in prison for violating the country’s counterterrorism law. al-Ghamdi, a teacher, had been charged with “publishing false and malicious news” and “challenging the religion of the King and the Crown Prince.” Human Rights Watch Saudi Arabia Researcher Joey Shea claimed that the conviction was an example of Saudi courts sentencing “ordinary citizens for nothing more than peacefully expressing themselves online.” Shea called on Saudi Arabia’s allies to condemn such acts and demand the prisoners’ release.

Critics have argued that the detention of individuals in Saudi Arabia for online expression violates international human rights law, particularly Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which ensures freedom of opinion and expression. Freedom House rated Saudi Arabia 25 out of 100 points in its Freedom on the Net 2024 report, finding that the country is one of the lowest-scoring countries for internet freedom.

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