Lebanese man dissapeared in Saudi Arabia

On 4 August 2021, Ali Maziad, a Lebanese national residing in Saudi Arabia, was abducted from his house in the capital, Riyadh by a group of men in civilian clothes. The Lebanese Embassy informed his family three months after his disappearance that he is being detained by State Security. Since then, he has been forcibly disappeared and his family has no information about his fate and whereabouts. Amnesty International urges the Saudi Arabian authorities to immediately disclose the fate and whereabouts of Ali Maziad, release him and ensure he has access to medical treatment and legal representation.

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Amnesty International has documented several cases of foreign nationals being arbitrarily detained by the Saudi Arabian authorities, accused of trumped-up charges and put through grossly unfair trials. Ten Egyptian Nubian men have been detained since 14 July 2020 and are facing trial before the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh in relation to a peaceful community event they had planned. At least two of the men are older people and suffer health ailments. Amnesty International urges Saudi Arabian authorities to release all the men immediately and unconditionally.

In another case, two Palestinian nationals, Dr. Mohammed al-Khudari, who is 84-years-old and advanced cancer patient and his son Hani al-Khudari, were detained on 4 April 2019 and charged before the Specialized Criminal Court with «joining a terrorist entity» - understood to be Hamas de facto authorities - as part of a mass trial of 68 individuals. Both men remain in detention despite their prison sentence ending on 28 February 2022. They have been deprived of proper health care and family contact. Amnesty International urges Saudi Arabian authorities to release both men immediately and unconditionally.