Saudi Arabia: Prisoners of conscience continue to be detained in Munasaha centres after the expiration of their sentences
On 2 August 2022, Alkarama submitted the cases of Mr Abdulkarim Al Khodr and Mr Jaber Suleiman Al Amri to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) regarding their detention in the Munasaha centers despite the expiration of their prison sentences.
Background
Dr Abdulkarim Al Khodr, Professor of Comparative Law and founding member of the Saudi Association for Civil and Political Rights (ACPRA), has shown an exceptional commitment to human rights and constitutional and judicial reform in his country.
In his publications, Dr Al Khodr regularly criticized the official discourse and its incompatibility with the principles of international law. He knew that he was at risk of being arrested at any time because of his involvement. On 16 February 2011, agents of the Mabahith (Intelligence Service) arrested him at his home without an arrest warrant and detained him incommunicado for several months. He was brought before the court and sentenced on 24 June 2013 to eight years in prison after an unfair trial.
The UN Working Group, seized by Alkarama in 2013, considered his detention as arbitrary and issued Opinion No. 46/2013 calling on the Saudi authorities to release him.
Jaber Al Amri was arrested on 12 April 2014 by Mabahith agents for posting a video on Youtube in which he called for the release of his unjustly imprisoned brother; after being held for months in secret, he was finally sentenced in May 2015 to seven years in prison.
Alkarama had also submitted his case to the Working Group on 13 February 2017, following which Opinion No. 63/2017 was adopted by the UN experts describing his detention as arbitrary and calling for his release.
However, both Opinions were never implemented by the authorities and the victims have not been released, reflecting Saudi Arabia's unwillingness to cooperate with UN mechanisms.
These arbitrary detentions following parody of trials, which continue to this day, are part of the permanence of a regime that does not tolerate any margin for criticism and a context of constant repression against the freedom of expression of any dissenting voice or considered as such.
Alkarama addresses the Working Group
On 2 August 2022, Alkarama submitted a new request for an Opinion to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention calling on it to once again intervene with the authorities to release the two victims and recognize the arbitrary nature of their detention in the Munasaha centers where prisoners of conscience, activists and human rights defenders are held.
While "Munasaha" means "counselling", in practice these centers have a very different purpose than "counselling". Established by totalitarian regimes such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Munasaha centers aim to convince and make detainees accept the need for absolute allegiance to the royal authority under religious pretexts. Any criticism or opposition to official policy would then be seen as contrary to Islam and a cardinal sin. The Munasaha centers can thus continue to detain anyone who has served their sentence but is considered a potential danger to the regime insofar as they may still be able to express dissident opinions.
Alkarama therefore addressed the UN Working Group to denounce the institution of the Munasaha and the existence of such centers, but also the need for the UN special procedures to call on Saudi Arabia to release all prisoners of conscience who have served their prison sentences and who continue to be unjustly imprisoned.