Dr Abdullah Al‑Hamid was a prominent Saudi Arabian human rights defender, academic, poet and co-founder of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, known for his peaceful advocacy for political reform and civil liberties in Saudi Arabia. On 09 March 2013 he was arrested and tried before the Specialised Criminal Court alongside fellow ACPRA co-founder Dr Mohammad Fahad Al-Qahtani. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison followed by an 11-year travel ban on charges including co-founding an unlicensed organisation, questioning the integrity of officials, inciting disorder and communicating with international bodies. On 09 April 2020 he suffered a severe stroke while detained in Al-Ha’ir Prison in Riyadh and remained in a coma until his death on 23 April 2020 at the age of 69 years old. Despite long-standing hypertension, authorities repeatedly denied him access to proper medical care and delayed a recommended heart operation. In 2018 he was awarded the Right Livelihood Award alongside other Saudi activists for their courageous commitment to justice and reform.