Abdulkareem Al-Khoder is the latest member of ACPRA to be sentenced by the SCC to 10 years in prison
Al-Khoder, is one of the co-founders of ACPRA, a human rights defender and a former profession in Islamic Jurisprudence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was originally sentenced to eight years in prison in 2013 after a trial before a criminal court but his sentence was later overturned. However, he remained arbitrarily detained in prison until his case was heard in front of the SCC this year. Al-Khoders crimes include:
- Disobeying the ruler
- Inciting public disorder by calling for demonstrations
- Harming the image of the State by disseminating false information to foreign groups
- Taking part in founding an unlicensed organization – ACPRA
Al-Khoder is one of 11 founding members of ACPRA that is either imprisoned or awaiting trial for calling for political and human rights reforms in the Kingdom.
The Saudi Authorities have been using abusive counter-terrorism legislations and a flawed specialized court to intimidate, arrest and suppress human rights defenders.
We at ALQST, urge the Saudi Arabia authorities to respect human rights and call for an increase of pressure on the Saudi authorities for the immediate release of Abdulkareem Al-Khoder. The authorities must drop all charges against him without any conditions attached.
