A/HRC/45/36 and private life” and “communicating with journalists, UN human rights bodies and human rights organizations” and other groups described as “hostile to the state.” 112. The case of Ms. Samar Badawi was included in the 2015 and 2019 reports of the Secretary-General on allegations of threats and interrogations following her statement at the Human Rights Council in 201475 (A/HRC/30/29, para. 36 and A/HRC/42/30, para. 73–74, Annex I, para. 91, and Annex II, para. 95).76 It was reported to OHCHR that Ms. Badawi appeared before the Criminal Court in Riyadh on 27 June 2019, without legal representation, for the first time since her arrest in July 2018. Throughout the subsequent trial, Ms. Badawi’s hearings have been regularly postponed. She had been scheduled to attend a hearing on 18 March 2020, but that and further hearing dates have been indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Prosecutors have reportedly called for the maximum penalty under article 6 of the Cybercrime Law and pursuing the following charges: “undermining public order, religious values, good morals and private life” and “communicating with journalists, UN human rights bodies and human rights organisations” and other groups described as “hostile to the state.” 113. The case of Mr. Yahya Al-Assiri, of the Saudi human rights organization ALQST, was included in the 2019 report of the Secretary-General on allegations of death threats and on-line harassment for his statement during the UPR adoption in March 2019 (A/HRC/42/30, para. 74 and Annex I, para. 95). Some of the women human rights defenders detained in 201877 were reportedly subsequently interrogated about Mr. Al-Assiri, including explicitly regarding his engagement with the Human Rights Council, and have been questioned about information they may have provided to him. During this reporting period, OHCHR received information that Mr. Al-Assiri’s name appeared on the charge sheets of the cases of Ms. Al- Hathloul, Ms. Badawi and other women’s rights activists, who are currently being held because of their cooperation with the UN (see Annex II, above). 114. The case of Mr. Mohammad Fahad Al Qahtani, of the Saudi Association for Civil and Political Rights (ACRPA), was included in the 2012, 2013 and 2019 reports of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/21/18, paras. 35–37; A/HRC/24/29, para. 42; and A/HRC/42/30, para. 74 and Annex II, para. 92). It was reported to OHCHR that, in February 2020, while serving 10 years of imprisonment (and a 10-year travel ban) for having provided false information to outside sources, including the UN human rights mechanisms, he has been denied contact with his family and has been transferred to another prison ward. 115. The case of Mr. Essa Al Nukheifi,78 a human rights defender, was included in the 2019 and 2018 reports of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/42/30, para. 74 and Annex II, para. 93; A/HRC/39/41, para. 65 and Annex I, paras. 95–96, 98) following his six-year sentence of imprisonment, with a six-year travel and social media ban upon release, for cooperation with the visit of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights to Saudi Arabia in January 2017 (SAU 2/2017).79 In its November 2019 opinion, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention stated that Mr. Al Nukheifi was being detained arbitrarily (A/HRC/WGAD/2019/71, paras. 76, 83, 90, 95), and raised particular concern about the Government’s reprisals against Mr. Al Nukheifi for his consultation with the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty (para. 93). The Working Group called on the authorities to 75 76 77 78 79 OHCHR “Saudi Arabia must immediately release all women’s rights defenders, say UN experts,” (12 October 2018), https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23719&LangID=E. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=34383 https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=34518. OHCHR, “Saudi Arabia must immediately free women human rights defenders held in crackdown, say UN experts,” (27 June 2018), https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23270&LangID=E. Also spelled Issa Al Nukheifi. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=33466. 73