Saudi Arabia: Khaled al-Omeir risks torture again inside al-Hayr prison

Following yesterday's publication of photographs depicting the injuries of a torture victim inside al-Hayr prison - one of the prison's detainees, Khaled Suleyman Al-Omeir, is suspected by prison authorities of having leaked the snapshots from the prison and is now being detained in solitary confinement.

Mr al-Omeir, 40, who is an active human rights defender in Saudi Arabia, was arrested on 2 January 2009 following an attempted peaceful demonstration organized by human rights activists in Riyadh on 1 January 2009, in protest of the attack on Gaza by the Israeli army.

To date, he has never appeared before any judicial authority nor has he been subject to any legal procedures. Coincidently, he had been previously detained in solitary confinement for several months after his initial arrest in January 2009.

On 19 January 2009, Alkarama called upon the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) and the Special Rapporteur on Torture (SRT) to intervene in Mr al-Omeir's case and then later sent that of Mohamed Abdullah Al-Oteibi to the WGAD on 12 August 2009. Mohamed Abdullah al-Otebi was also arrested under the same pretext alongside Mr al-Omeir on 2 January 2009 and is currently being held in the same prison. Alkarama has become increasingly concerned as fears are that Mr al-Omeir will be exposed to severe retaliation in the form of torture due to nature of the accusations posed against him.

The photographs leaked yesterday from Al-Hayr prison showing the torture wounds of one of their co-detainees, were sent to various human rights NGOs, of which Alkarama was also the recipient.

Sources have indicated that photos are of Al-Hayr detainee Khaled Mohamed Al-Si'ri, 30, and that he was tortured by a group of prison guards.

It seems as though the prison administration's accusations against Mr Al-Omeir are solely based on the fact that he is a human rights defender; who continues to unequivocally denounce torture and human rights violations under all circumstances, especially those directed at prisoners.

Alkarama has as a result of this situation sent an urgent appeal to Mr Manfred Nowak, the Special Rapporteur on Torture, detailing its concerns regarding Mr Al-Omeir's situation and thus bringing to his attention the degrading living conditions to which prisoners are exposed throughout Saudi Arabia, particularly those detained for political reasons.

Unfortunately, at the same time as Alkarama received the information concerning Mr Al-Omeir solitary confinement, it was also informed of the suicide of Mohamed Salman al-Attawi al-Oteibi. According to sources, he had requested medical treatment on various occasions to aid his psychological suffering; however prison administration continuously refused his appeals.

For more information or an interview, please contact media@alkarama.org (Dir: +41 22 734 1008).