Mobilization Campaign : Release Waleed Abu Al-Khair!

The UIA has launched a mobilization campaign in support of  Waleed Abu Al-Khair who has been in jail since April 2014 because of his human rights activities.

The UIA invites you to join this campaign.

Waleed Abu Al-Khair is a human rights activist and founder of the association “Monitor of Human Rights" in Saudi Arabia. He is the recipient of the 2012 Olof Palme Prize. Mr. Abu Al-Khair has represented many victims of human rights violations. The best known among them is Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger who was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment in May 2014 and 1000 lashes for having allegedly insulted the Saudi authorities.

On July 6, 2014, the Jeddah Special Criminal Court of the First Instance sentenced Waleed Abu Al-Khair to 15 years in prison, including five years of a suspended sentence, a 15 year travel ban and the payment of a penalty of 200,000 Saudi Riyals. Abu Al-Khair was found guilty on several charges, including: “attempting to overthrow legitimate authorities”, “an attack against public order, the State and its authorities”, “criticising and insulting the Justice system”, “attacking the reputation of the Kingdom and inciting international organisations to be hostile to the Kingdom”, “creating an unregistered organisation”, and “violating Saudi law against cybercrimes”.

On January 12, 2015 the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh increased the sentence ordering him to serve the full 15-year prison sentence because he refused to apologize for his “offences”. The sentence was confirmed on February, 15 (please see below the joint press release on the confirmation of the verdict, available in English and Arabic).

Please click below to download the official poster campaign and a model letter for you to send to Saudi authorities.

Thank you on behalf of the UIA and for your support of human rights.

On August 2015, the UIA have joined a Petition for Relief filed by several partner organisation asking the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to confirm that his detention is arbitrary and to require his immediate release (see below).