Beirut, 21 March, 2012 — March 17, 2012 was the first anniversary of the arrest of human rights defender Fadhil Ali Al- Sulaiman, when his car was stopped by   security forces who also assaulted him, causing fractures in his hand. His car was searched and an electronic memory card together with 20 Cd-Roms were confiscated. His arrest and assault happened after his participation in the protests which took place during March 2011 in Al-Ahsa, the eastern region of Saudi Arabia.

 Human rights defender Fadhil Ali Al-Sulaiman had participated in two demonstrations that took place on 4 and 11 March 2011 in the city of Hofuf in Al-Ahsa province, where demonstrators called for public freedoms and administrative reform. He played a prominent role in leading the protesters and expressing their demands. It is believed that the local authorities considered him as the leader of the demonstrators and their spokesperson, although the demonstrations were spontaneous and reflected the local residents’ complaints.

 During the second demonstration, the security beat the protesters with batons and arrested 30 persons. Participants in the protests were filmed by plain clothes security forces from vehicles of the General Intelligence Service and one of the protesters broke a camera belonging to a member of the General Intelligence Service while he was filming, an alleged  charge which was pressed later against defender Fadhil Ali Al- Sulaiman.

 Human rights defender Fadhil Ali Al- Sulaiman was taken to the Criminal Investigation Building at the Ahsa police department, and then he was transferred to the General Intelligence building in the city of Dammam where he joined ten other detainees who were arrested on 11 March 2011. After approximately a month they were all sent back to Ahsa police department. The detainees were pressurized to sign a written confession of demonstrating, vandalism of public property, attacks on security patrols by throwing stones, and beating the security men, and they were promised that they would be released upon getting their signatures to these confessions. Some of the detainees have signed these confessions under pressure and they were transferred to the general prison of Ahsa where they were subjected to severe beating and were detained for  another month. Fadhil Ali Al-Sulaiman refused to sign this confession so he was moved to the building of Al-Salhiya police department for investigation of the alleged offense of breaking a camera that belongings to the General Intelligence Service and resisting arrest. He denied both charges.

 13 March 2012 the trial for his hearing was set at the Specialized Penal Court where he was charged with demonstrating, resisting arrest and injuring the security forces, possession of books, electronic memory and CDs, in addition to the charge of breaking a camera belonging to the General Intelligence Service. The hearing was postponed because of the absence of the judge, but its  believed that the delay was based on an administrative order issued by the Ministry of Interior in order to prolong the period of his imprisonment. His lawyer, Dr Mohammed Al-Shakhs, has tried on a number of occasions to get an indictment, but he did not get it yet in spite of his continued efforts. Al-Sulaiman suffers from aggravated injury in the palm of his hand because of  bad medical services and the lack of necessary treatment in the prison.

 “The Saudi authorities should respect the right of citizens to peacefully  protest to demand their civil and human rights.” said Nabeel Rajab, director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights and added “I call on the Saudi King to do everything in his power to protect and support the legitimate work of human rights defenders and also to meet all legal obligations under international law.”

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights is very concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of defender Fadhil Ali Al-Sulaiman, and believes that his arrest and continued detention are related to his legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights in Saudi Arabia

strong>The GCHR calls on the authorities in Saudi Arabia to:

-Immediately and unconditionally release human rights defender Fadhil Ali Al-Sulaiman;

-Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in KSA are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights calls your attention to the rights and fundamental freedoms guaranteed in the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms” in particular to Article 6 (c) “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: (c) To study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters” and to  Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”.

br /> Please write immediately in English or in Arabic:

 • To express your concern about the continued detention of human rights defender Fadhil Ali Al-Sulaiman and to call for his immediate release;

•  To urge the authorities in the Saudi Arabia to immediately stop the targeting of human rights defenders;

 Please Send Appeals now TO:

 King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques

Office of His Majesty the King

Royal Court, Riyadh

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Fax:+966 1 403 3125   

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 Crown Prince and Minister of the Interior

His Royal Highness Prince Naif bin

Abdul Aziz Al Saud

Ministry of the Interior, P.O. Box 2933,

Airport Road

Riyadh 11134

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Fax: +966 1 403 3125 
 

strong>The Gulf Centre for Human Rights is an independent centre and has been registered in Ireland. The Centre works to strengthen support for human rights defenders and independent journalists in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

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