Saudi Arabia : Nasser Al-Hajiri's health deteriorates inside prison due to neglect

09 Dec 2009
Alkarama has just received an update regarding Nasser Al-Hajri, who is presently detained inside Dammam's Intelligence Services detention center. Reports state that his state of health is currently deteriorating due to medical negligence and ill-treatment. He suffers from a dangerous brain tumor, which according to an medical examination five months ago, requires an urgent operation due to its gravity. As is now routine in Saudi Arabia, the authorities have ignored medical advice and he remains untreated.

Nasser Naif Deeb Al-Hajiri is a Kuwaiti citizen arrested on 16 December 2007 at the Khafiji border between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia while returning from Mecca after having performed Hajj (pilgrimage). He has since between detained in Saudi Arabia without legal procedures, as in the case with many Saudi and foreign detainees. Alkarama submitted his case as an urgent appeal to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) on 20 March 2009 asking the WGAD to intercede with the Saudi authorities in this regard.

Foreign nationals in Saudi Arabia, especially those hailing from neighboring countries, are unable to receive legal assistance or support from their countries, either for their extradition or at least towards facilitating a trial. In countries which respect the rights of their citizens, those arrested abroad (even if they are criminals of public law) are provided with protection and legal assistance from their country of origin - demands are made that the detainees' prison sentences be served in their own country, as is mutually agreed by many of the major countries across the world. It is clear that the arrest of neighboring citizens by the Saudi authorities is in fact tolerated, as certain countries wish to hold detainees without legal action, but are unable to do so due to their obligations to domestic and international law.

Alkarama calls upon the Saudi authorities to provide Nasser Al-Hajiri with proper medical care and for the Kuwaiti authorities to inform the Saudi government of their concerns regarding Nasser Al-Hajiri who remains in, jail while suffering from physical ailments, without having been presented to justice.

 

Saudi Arabia