Saudi Arabia: Academic Abdulkarim Al-Khodr released after 10 years of political detention

Abdul Karim Al-Khodr

Alkarama has learned that the Saudi authorities have released academic Abdulkarim Al Khodr, after he spent 10 years behind bars in an unfair trial for exercising his right to opinion.

Alkarama had previously submitted his case and that of several other detainees to United Nations experts.

Abdulkarim bin Yousef bin Abdulkarim Al-Khodr, born on 6 November 1964, is a Saudi human rights defender and a founding member of the Association for Political and Civil Rights (ACPRA).

In addition to his activities focusing on the need to promote and protect civil and political rights, he advocates for constitutional reforms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  Dr Al Khodr has worked tirelessly to combat the widespread practice of arbitrary detention throughout the country.

A professor of comparative law, Al Khodr has an exceptional and unwavering commitment to the cause of constitutional and judicial reform and the protection of civil and political rights in the Kingdom.

On June 24, 2013, the Buraidah Court of first Instance sentenced him to eight years in prison with a ten-year travel ban upon completion of his prison sentence, including for inciting public opposition to the ruler, calling for demonstrations, participating in unauthorized civil society organizations, revoking his allegiance to the ruler, and communicating with foreign agencies about human rights violations in the Kingdom.

On January 6, 2014, the Court of Appeals ordered a new trial.

On October 19, 2015, the Specialized Criminal Court stiffened his sentence, sentencing him to 10 years in prison and a 10-year travel ban. He is still being held at Buraidah Criminal Prison in the city of Qassim, according to Saudi human rights sources.

Background to the case

Al Khodr was arrested on April 24, 2013, during the trial. He was mistreated in prison and had to go on hunger strike more than once to protest the mistreatment.

Al Khodr and his family members have been harassed and intimidated by the Saudi authorities, and two of his sons, Thamer Abdulkarim Al Khodr and Jihad Abdulkareem Al Khodr, were arrested in March 2010 and March 2011, respectively, and later released.

Alkarama's actions

Alkarama has followed the case of academic Abdulkarim Al Khodr and the cases of ACPRA detainees by filing several individual complaints about them before the United Nations human rights special procedures.

In March 2018, on the occasion of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's first foreign visit (to Western capitals), Alkarama and international human rights organizations called on the international community to once again draw attention to the detention, suffering, and human rights violations suffered by activists, human rights defenders, and prisoners of conscience.

In addition to the academic Abdulkarim Al Khodr, Alkarama has called in recent years to end the suffering of the rest of his comrades who are among the detainees of the Human Rights Association ACPRA, namely: Abdul Rahman Al-Hamid, Issa Al-Hamid, Muhammad Fahad Al-Qahtani, Abdulaziz Al-Shubaily, Fawzan Al-Harbi, Omar Al-Saeed, and Muhammad Al-Bajadi.