Abdullah Al-Maliki is a prominent human rights defender from Qatar who has been sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia. He sought political asylum in Germany. Since his departure from Qatar in 2016, Al-Maliki has faced numerous retaliatory measures, including severe targeting from authorities in Qatar, including denial of official documents, the freezing of his bank account, fabricated civil lawsuits against him, confiscation of his and his family’s property, and direct physical attacks against his peaceful activities. 

Al-Maliki has been targeted for his involvement in the “National Campaign for Travel-Banned Citizens,” which advocates for the rights of individuals subjected to arbitrary travel bans in Qatar. In July 2022, he was attacked during a peaceful gathering in Munich by individuals mobilized by the Qatari State Security Apparatus. 

On 26 May 2022, the Criminal Court sentenced Al-Maliki to life imprisonment in absentia after holding only two hearings, without informing him, in a trial that lacked the minimum international standards for fair trial and legal procedures. On 27 October 2022, the Qatari Public Prosecutor, following direct orders issued by the State Security Apparatus, appealed the initial life sentence to insist it be replaced by the death penalty. Al-Maliki was charged with allegedly “publicly challenging the emir’s exercise of his powers and dishonouring himself,” “inciting the overthrow of the ruling regime,” and “attempting to overthrow the regime.”

On 25 July 2024, the Criminal Court in Qatar issued another life sentence against Al-Maliki, the sixth in a series of unfair sentences issued against him by different Qatari courts, and ordered that his TikTok account be blocked, in flagrant violation of his right to freedom of expression on the Internet. The decision was swiftly and uncritically upheld by the Court of Appeal on 26 September 2024.