The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) issued Opinion No. 31/2025, concluding that the detention of Yemeni national Mohammed Ali Hussein Al-Wadaei in Saudi Arabia is arbitrary and violates international human rights law. The Group called for his immediate release as well as full reparation.
On May 31, 2024, Alkarama filed a complaint on behalf of Mr. Al-Wadaei’s family with the UN Working Group, detailing the circumstances of his arrest, detention and what was deemed an unfair trial.
After a thorough examination of the facts, the UN independent experts concluded that the arrest, trial, and sentencing of Mr. Al-Wadaei to 19 years in prison were the result of his peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression, notably for sharing on social media posts critical of the Kingdom’s policies, particularly following the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. The Group found that the charges against him lacked legal basis and fell within the definition of arbitrary detention under international standards.
Documented Violations
Mr. Al-Wadaei was arrested on October 19, 2022, without a warrant and without being informed of the reasons for his arrest or the charges against him. He did not appear before a judicial authority until more than a year later. During the first three months, he was held in total isolation, without any contact with a lawyer or his family, a situation the Group characterized as a violation of safeguards against torture and enforced disappearance.
He was unable to fully exercise his right to defense and met his lawyer only at his first hearing in November 2023, which constituted a serious breach of the principles of a fair trial. His conviction was based on anti-terrorism and cybercrime laws, which the Group described as "vague and imprecise" and which have been widely used by Saudi authorities to criminalize the peaceful exercise of freedom of opinion and expression.
Call for Release and Reparation
The Working Group urged Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Al-Wadaei and to provide him with compensation and full reparation in accordance with international standards. It also recommended opening an independent investigation into the circumstances of his arrest and conviction, and prosecuting those responsible for the violations committed.
The UN independent experts expressed particular concern that Mr. Al-Wadaei’s case adds to more than 75 already documented cases of arbitrary detention in Saudi Arabia, illustrating an alarming pattern of systematic violations of fundamental rights. They called on the Kingdom to strengthen its cooperation with UN mechanisms, to authorize an official visit to assess the human rights situation, and to undertake legal reforms consistent with its international obligations.
The opinion issued by the Working Group supports the demands made by Alkarama in its complaint, which called for recognition of the arbitrary nature of Mr. Al-Wadaei’s detention, carried out by a special jurisdiction applying repressive laws infringing on fundamental freedoms.
Alkarama also recalled that numerous UN experts have repeatedly expressed concerns regarding these laws, noting that Saudi authorities systematically resort to them to justify the repression of freedom of expression and opinion, as clearly demonstrated in the case of Mr. Al-Wadaei.