Saudi Arabia: FREED - Nasser Al-Hajiri released after nearly three years illegal detention

Alkarama has just received news that Nasser Al-Hajiri, a Kuwaiti citizen, has been released. He was arrested by Saudi Intelligence services on 16 December 2007 at a border crossing en route from Saudi Arabia to Kuwait.

During his imprisonment, Nasser Al-Hajiri was never charged nor put on trial. Throughout his imprisonment he was denied the necessary medication to treat his cancer. To make matters worse, he was also tortured while in custody at the Intelligence Service's center in Al-Dammam, Saudi Arabia, where he was being held with 11 other Kuwaiti citizens.

On 15 March 2009, Nasser Al-Hajiri began an open ended hunger strike, despite suffering from deteriorating health issues.

In the light of the violations committed against him, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on 20 March 2009, requesting their intervention on his behalf with the Saudi authorities. Alkarama also sent Nasser Al-Hajiri's case to the Special Rapporteur on Health on 16 December 2009.

Alkarama is deeply concerned by the number of foreign nationals held in Saudi prisons without charge. While deprived of access to legal counsel, the possibility of challenging the legality of the prisoners' detention is almost none.

Saudi Arabia is currently a member of the Human Rights Council, and despite their commitments the Convention against Torture, they continue to violate human rights in discordance with both international and Saudi domestic law.