human rights defender

Asaad Al-Ghamdi

Actions and Campaigns

Urgent support needed

Assad Al-Ghamdi suffers from epilepsy, which requires consistent medical attention to manage adequately. He has not received such care during his detention.

HRD's year of birth

1977

HRD's Gender

Man

Type of HRD

  • Academic

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Civil and political rights

Current Status

Released

HRD's bio and work

Assad Nasser Al-Ghamdi is a Saudi teacher who was arrested in November 2022 over social media posts. In his tweets, he expressed condolences for Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamid, the founder of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association. He also criticized projects related to Vision 2030 and the ongoing transformation in the Saudi regime and its abandonment of the old religious alliance. 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 Mohammed Al-Ghamdi who was sentenced to 30 years in prison, appears to be related to his outspoken stand against the increasingly prevalent human rights violations.

Detained since

Nov 20, 2022

Date of release

Feb 13, 2025

Charge(s)

  • Terrorism

Sentence

15 years

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Asia: Western Asia

Location of detention - City/Town

Jeddah

Location of detention - Facility

Dhahban Prison

Allegations / reports of ill-treatment

Assad Al-Ghamdi was initially placed in solitary confinement for three months. He was also held incommunicado for nearly two months, and only received his first visit from family members on 11 January 2023. In detention, he suffered from continuous torture and deliberate medical neglect. He was given pills that manipulated his mind and psyche, leading to a noticeable deterioration in his health and mental state. In one episode, Al-Ghamdi remained unconscious in the bathroom for hours. He had a spasm and he fell and broke his finger and his tooth. When other inmates saw that he was late in the toilet they went to check on him and found his blood everywhere. Prison authorities later took him to a general physician in the prison but not a specialist, which he requires. Al-Ghamdi was also transferred multiple times between prisons. During those transfers, Al-Ghamdi's hands and feet were bound with iron, with his head covered, and he was ordered to walk quickly, causing him to stumble and sustain severe injuries. He was thrown into a small room filled with prisoners awaiting trial, suffering from inhumane conditions that even prevented them from using the bathroom. He appeared in court after almost two years, where he was not offered proper legal representation and his lawyer consistently refused to communicate with the family or present evidence of Al-Ghamdi's health condition.

Recent case update / evolution

On 29 May 2024, Assad Al-Ghamdi was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with a travel ban upon release. Upon appeal, the sentence was reduced to 15 years. Al-Ghamdi was tried under the Counterterrorism Law for his criticism of the Saudi government. These charges include insulting religion and the King’s justice (Art. 30), endorsing a terrorist ideology (Art. 34), attempting to destabilize the system, and endangering national unity.

In February 2025, Al-Ghamdi was released from prison with other human rights defenders and activists.

Any other relevant documents

https://www.gc4hr.org/salma-al-shehab-released-after-four-years-in-prison-among-hundreds-of-prisoners-for-posts-on-x/

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