A/HRC/42/30 24. Saudi Arabia 92. The case of Mr. Mohammad Fahad Al Qahtani, lawyer and co-founder of the Saudi Association for Civil and Political Rights (ACRPA) was included in the 2012 and 2013 reports of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/21/18, paras. 35–37; A/HRC/24/29, para. 42) concerning his sentencing to 10 years of imprisonment and a 10-year travel ban for inter alia having provided false information to outside sources, including the human rights mechanisms of the United Nations. On 17 December 2018, Mr. Al Qahtani reportedly started a hunger strike and was subsequently punished with solitary confinement for two days. On 20 March 2019, he was moved from the wing of political prisoners inside Al Hai’r Prison to the wing hosting regular criminals despite his complaints. 93. The case of Mr. Essa Al Nukheifi, a human rights defender, was included in the 2018 report of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/39/41, para. 65 and Annex I, paras. 95–96, 98) regarding charges, imprisonment, and bans on travel and the use of social media for cooperation with the visit of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights to Saudi Arabia in January 2017 (SAU 2/2017).153 On 8 April 2019, Al Nukheifi requested to be transferred to Jizan prison to be able to see his family, but his request was reportedly denied. 94. The case of Mr. Fawzan Mohsen Awad Al Harbi, human rights defender and member of ACPRA was included in the 2014 report of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/27/38, para. 30) and addressed by special procedures mandate holders (SAU 1/2014) regarding travel restrictions and a request to sign a pledge to terminate ACPRA in connection to his cooperation with the UN. In December 2013, he was arrested and detained at Al Malaz prison in Riyadh and charged with, among other things, “co-founding an unlicensed organization” and “ignoring judicial decisions ordering its dissolution.” In June 2014, he was sentenced to one year in prison and an additional six-year suspended prison sentence. In November 2014, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to a 10year prison term followed by a travel ban of 10 years. On 30 July 2018, Mr. Al Harbi’s wife, Ms. Amal Al Harbi, was reportedly arrested. She had been vocal in campaigning for the release of her husband and is currently being held at Dhahban Prison pending the finalization of the trial. 95. The case of Ms. Samar Badawi was included in the 2015 annual report of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/30/29, para. 36) concerning threats and subsequent interrogation for a statement she made at the Human Rights Council in September 2014. On 30 July 2018, it was reported that Ms. Badawi was arrested without a warrant in Jeddah and transferred to an unknown location where she was detained incommunicado for a month before being allowed contact with her family. In early 2019, it was alleged that Ms. Badawi was among other women reported in the media who faced sexual harassment, torture and other forms of physical and psychological ill-treatment during interrogation. Ms. Badawi has been the subject of several special procedures communications (SAU 16/2014), (SAU 1/2016), (SAU 11/2018), and (SAU 1/2019) and a public statement. 154 The Government responded, 155 indicating that the facts pertaining to the allegations of reprisals were inaccurate and that Ms. Badawi was subject to criminal charges. On 5 April 2019, the Government provided information that Ms. Badawi is detained at a prison in Jeddah Governorate Makkah Province. According to information received, she is allowed regular contact with her family at Dhahban Prison but has been denied her right to legal counsel and has not been informed of the charges against her. 153 154 155 62 Response from Government: https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/ DownLoadFile?gId=33466. OHCHR “Saudi Arabia must immediately release all women’s rights defenders, say UN experts,” (12 October 2018). On 13 May 2015, 25 May 2016, 29 October 2018, and 29 January 2019: https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=34383. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=34518.