human rights defender
Mohammed Al-Ghamdi
Actions and Campaigns
Urgent support needed
Al-Ghamdi reportedly suffers from pre-existing conditions of several neurological disorders which require urgent and specialised medical attention. Since his arrest, his health has deteriorated due to medical neglect in detention.
HRD's year of birth
1968
HRD's Gender
Man
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
Current Status
In prison (sentenced)
HRD's bio and work
Mohammed Nasser Al-Ghamdi is a 56-year-old teacher from the Southern City of Abha who was arrested in June 2022 over social media posts, in which he expressed concerns over corruption and violations of human rights as well as support for many detained, prominent religious scholars. Al-Ghamdi’s brother, Saeed bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, is a well-known Saudi Islamic scholar and government critic living in exile in the United Kingdom. He believes that the harsh punishment against his brothers, including Assad Al-Ghamdi who was sentenced to 20 years in prison, appears to be related to his outspoken stand against the increasingly prevalent human rights violations.
Detained since
Jun 11, 2022
Charge(s)
- Terrorism
Sentence
30 years
Latitude: 24.44914
Longitude: 46.81299
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Asia: Western Asia
Location of detention - City/Town
Riyadh
Location of detention - Facility
Al-Ha’ir Prison
Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
Following Al-Ghamdi's arrest, he was held in solitary confinement for four months. His family was unable to contact him during this period and he did not have access to a lawyer. Once he finally did obtain legal representation, he was only able to speak with the lawyer immediately in advance of court sessions. The Saudi authorities have refused to provide Al-Ghamdi with essential prescription medications needed to treat several mental health conditions.
Recent case update / evolution
On 24 August 2024, the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) in Riyadh sentenced Mohammed Al-Ghamdi to death. Al-Ghamdi was convicted under articles 30, 34, 43 and 44 of Saudi’s counterterrorism law. His purported offences include “renouncing allegiance to the guardians of the state”; “supporting a terrorist ideology and a terrorist entity (the Muslim Brotherhood)”; “using his accounts on Twitter and YouTube to follow and promote individuals who seek to destabilize public order”; and “sympathizing with individuals detained on terrorism-related charges.”The public prosecutor sought the maximum penalties for all charges against al-Ghamdi. The court issued the sentence on the grounds that the crimes “targeted the status of the King and the Crown Prince,” and that the “magnitude of his actions is amplified by the fact they occurred through a global media platform, necessitating a strict punishment.”In August 2024, the death sentence was overturned and replaced with a 30-year sentence.
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