Saudi Arabia: Thamer Al-Matiri arbitrarily detained since 2 November 2008

Thamer Rekhis Eid Al-Matiri, aged 27, is an official at the Ministry of Information in Kuwait, where he lives.

After his arrest by the Saudi intelligence services (Al-Mabahit Al-Aama), his family took numerous steps to establish his fate and place of detention, as well as the reasons why he was arrested.

After three months, during which they were left with no news, they found out that he was being held at the Jeddah Dahbane prison. Since then, they have been allowed to visit him twice.

It became clear during these visits that Al-Matiri had been detained secretly for three months, during which he underwent total isolation. To this day he does not know why he was arrested, since the reasons have never been disclosed by the authorities, and he has not been charged or brought before a magistrate. He was only told that he had done nothing wrong, and that he had simply been the subject of a "normal identity verification procedure."

His family has not been allowed to hire a lawyer to assist him because, according to the authorities, there is no charge against him.

Al-Matiri has obviously been deprived of his liberty in an arbitrary manner. His current detention is contrary to both internal legal norms and relevant international standards set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.