Dr. Saud Mukhtar Al-Hashmi is one of the Jeddah Reformists that refused to agree to a Royal Pardon in 2012
Al-Hashmi was arrested on the 2nd of February 2007 along with five other activists, all of which were subject to ill treatments by the authorities. Later, a further ten activists were arrested in Jeddah and Medina. They were all accused of trying to form a group to assemble as oppositions to the regime along with other accusations which were too broad and without much substance.
Al-Hashimi was remanded in custody, without trial, until February 2010 when the trial began in the Specialized Criminal Court of Saudi Arabia. On the 22nd of November 2012, Al-Hashimi was sentenced to 30 years in prison along with a further 30 years international ban on travel once his sentence had been served. Al-Hashimi had also been subjected to physical torture to coerce him into a confession and also to break his hunger strike. Al-Hasimi reiterated his complaints of ill treatment in his trial to the Judge but the Judge refused to acknowledge and did not respond to it.
Currently, Al-Hashimi is suffering from various health issues and is in need of health care and follow-up treatments but Al-Hashimi has been denied access to any medical care.
Al-Hashimi’s mother is very old and ill and her last wish is to see her son again. The authorities permitted Al-Hashimi to visit his mother in hospital providing he was watched by 30 guards at all times, handcuffs and leg chains were not to be removed and a visiting permit of only three hours was granted.
We at ALQST need your support to apply pressure on the authorities to free Dr. Saud Mokhtar Al-Hashimi. We want the authorities to stop degrading his dignity, to stop torturing him, to have all the charges dropped against him from the Specialised Criminal Court and to give him his fundamental rights to enjoy his life with dignity, liberty and security
