Human rights defender and co-founder of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, Mohammed al-Qahtani, has been arbitrarily detained since 2013 for his peaceful activism. He was supposed to be released in November 2022 after serving a ten-year sentence. However, his fate has turned into a nightmare: since October 2022, he has been missing, with no communication with his family, who live in anguish, uncertain whether he is still alive.
The practice of enforced disappearance in Saudi Arabia is part of a larger pattern of silencing and intimidating human rights defenders and peaceful activists. Al-Qahtani's enforced disappearance reflects a disturbing trend in Saudi Arabia, where human rights defenders and peaceful activists face severe reprisals. While his family waits for news, he may be at risk of torture and abuse, without the protection of the law.
Raise your voice against these practices. Sign the petition and demand that the Saudi authorities release Mohammed al-Qahtani, allow him to contact his family, and refrain from reprisals against human rights defenders and activists seeking to engage with international mechanisms. Your signature is a step towards justice.