Saudi Arabia: Abdullah Al-Souidani released from incommunicado detention

07 Jun 2009
Alkarama was informed that Abdullah Al-Souidani was released on May 31 2009. The Qatari citizen was stopped at the border between Qatar and Saudi Arabia on 9 May 2009. He was held incommunicado at the Al-Hayr prison without his family being able to reach him. Finally released, he was able to return to Qatar.

Alkarama sought the intervention of the Special Rapporteur on Torture, requesting him to intervene with Saudi authorities. (see 24 May 2009 communiqué) 

Reminder: 
Mr. Abdullah Mohammed Ali Al-Salem Al-Souidani, born 1974, lives with his family near Ain Khaled in Doha. 

He was arrested on the morning of 9 May 2009 by the Saudi intelligence (Al-Mabahit) at the
Seloua border between Qatar and Saudi Arabia while traveling by car. 

According to information gathered by his family, the officers who arrested him did not present him with a judicial warrant nor did they inform him of the reasons for his arrest. He was then taken to an unknown destination.

After many steps, especially with the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, his parents 
managed to learn that he was held incommunicado at the Al-Hayr prison near Riyadh.

However, he had no contact with the outside world and the Saudi authorities refused to inform his family about the reasons for his arrest and or his future.

Saudi Arabia