On 24 April 2023, ALQST, MENA Rights Group and the Right Livelihood held a webinar discussion on the plight of human rights defender Dr. Mohammed al-Qahtani and his colleagues from the disbanded Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA), established to promote and protect fundamental rights and freedoms in the country. 24 April marked six months since al-Qahtani’s last contact with his family, with the Saudi authorities subjecting him to incommunicado detention despite the completion of his prison term. 23 April also marked two years since the death in detention of ACPRA co-founder Abdullah al-Hamid as a result of repeated medical neglect by the authorities.

Falah Sayed, human rights officer at the Geneva-based MENA Rights Group, spoke about the absence of fundamental freedoms and legal safeguards in Saudi Arabia. Saudi human rights defender, ALQST founder, and first Secretary General of the National Assembly party, Yayha Assiri, highlighted the influence of ACPRA and how they laid the foundation for a wider human rights movement in Saudi Arabia. Maha al-Qahtani, the wife of Mohammed al-Qahtani, spoke about the agonising ordeal of his imprisonment and disappearance. It has been over six months since she was last able to hear his voice. Omar al-Qahtani, the son of Mohammed al-Qahtani, also made a short statement, in which he emphasised his continued hope for his father’s return.

After expressing her sympathy and respect to Mohammed al-Qahtani’s family, Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, explained she has raised the case of al-Qahtani with the Saudi authorities on different occasions, and she encouraged civil society to bring rights abuses against human rights defenders to her attention. She noted that in early 2024, Saudi Arabia will undergo its 4th Universal Periodic Review, which will allow for additional pressure to be placed on the authorities.