A/HRC/54/61
cooperation with the UN.161 Mr. Al Qahtani is currently held in Al-Ha’ir Prison in Riyadh.
According to information received by OHCHR in May 2022, Mr. Al Qahtani and around
other 30 prisoners were moved to the psychiatric ward. There, he was reportedly beaten by
co-detainees and held two hunger strikes to demand transfer and in protest of the lack of
contact with his family, respectively. Reportedly, in mid-March 2023, Mr. Al Qahtani was
seen in King Saud medical City as his health has deteriorated in connection to the hunger
strikes.
131. On 9 November 2022, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights
defenders raised concerns over the health and life of Mr. Al Qahtani, jailed in 2013 for
allegedly providing false information to outside sources, including UN human rights
mechanisms.162 The Special Rapporteur raised further concerns over reports that his family
had lost communication with him since 23 October 2022 after he complained about attacks
by other prisoners and that he was being held in incommunicado detention.
132. The case of Mr. Essa Al Nukheifi, a human rights defender and anti-corruption
activist, was included in the reports of the Secretary-General since 2018,163 following his sixyear prison sentence, with a six-year travel and social media ban upon release, for his
cooperation with the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty during a visit to Saudi Arabia
in January 2017 (SAU 2/2017). In November 2019, the Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention stated that Mr. Al Nukheifi’s detention was arbitrary (A/HRC/WGAD/2019/71,
paras. 76, 83, 90, 95), and raised particular concern about the reprisals against him for his
consultation with the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty (para. 93). Mr. Al Nukheifi is
currently held in Al Ha’ir Prison in Riyadh.
133. On 30 November 2022, special procedures mandate holders addressed Mr. Al
Qahtani’s and Mr. Al-Nukehifi ongoing detention past the expiry of their sentences of 10and 6-years imprisonment respectively and their lack of access to legal counsel. They also
raised concerns over the alleged ill treatment in detention of Mr. Al Qahtani, including attacks
by co-detainees in May 2022 and October 2022 and the lack of contact with his family.
(SAU 10/2022) On 30 January 2023, the Government responded to special procedures
mandate holders noting his access to the necessary medical care, denied allegations of
beatings from inmates and clarified that both Mr. al-Qahtani and Mr. Al-Nukeifi were
charged with a number of criminal offences, including inciting others to commit criminal
offences within prison, and that investigation by the Public Prosecution Service was ongoing,
hence their continued detention.164
134. The case of Mr. Fawzan Mohsen Awad Al-Harbi, a human rights defender and
member of ACPRA was included in the 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 reports of the
Secretary-General,165 on allegations of arrest and detention for his cooperation with the UN.
Special procedures mandate holders have addressed his situation repeatedly with the relevant
authorities, including allegations of acts of reprisals for his cooperation with the UN. 166
According to information received by OHCHR, his sentence of a 10-year prison term is due
to expire in September 2023.
161
162
163
164
165
166
70
SAU 13/2021, SAU 12/2017, SAU 4/2016, SAU 11/2014, SAU 5/2013, SAU 8/2013, SAU 7/2012.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/11/saudi-arabia-allow-immediate-contact-humanrights-defender-held.
A/HRC/39/41, para. 65 and Annex I, paras. 95–96, 98. A/HRC/42/30, para. 74 and Annex II,
para. 93; A/HRC/45/36, Annex II, paras. 115–116; A/HRC/48/28, Annex II, paras. 120–121;
A/HRC/51/47, Annex II, paras. 132–135.
See government reply at
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=37348.
A/HRC/27/38, para. 30; A/HRC/42/30, para. 74 and Annex II, para. 94; A/HRC/45/36, Annex II,
para. 118 and A/HRC/48/28, Annex II, para. 124; A/HRC/51/47, Annex II, paras. 131, 133–35.
SAU 6/2021, SAU 13/2021, SAU 4/2016, SAU 11/2014, SAU 8/2013.
GE.23-15378