Mr. President, 

We, the undersigned organizations, write to express our deep concern over the cases of unjustly detained prisoners in Saudi Arabia who languish behind bars, including those with family ties to U.S. residents and citizens. Mr. President, on the campaign trail you claimed that the government of Saudi Arabia would “have to be held accountable” for their egregious human rights abuses. Yet the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia has deteriorated dramatically over the past four years. We urge you to seize this final opportunity in your administration to push for the immediate and unconditional release of unjustly detained prisoners in Saudi Arabia, including the relatives of U.S. citizens and residents. 

Too many human rights defenders, women’s rights advocates, political dissidents, and even people with no history of political activism, have been incarcerated for merely exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association. Some of these individuals have close ties to the United States. Saudi courts have imposed lengthy travel bans on many of these individuals to be served following the completion of their prison sentences. These travel bans place them at increased risk of rearrest and too often prevent them from reuniting with their families. We therefore urge you to prioritize the below cases:

  • Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, a Red Crescent humanitarian aid worker and the brother of U.S. citizen and California resident Areej al-Sadhan, is serving a 20-year prison sentence to be followed by a 20-year travel ban for posting anonymous satirical statements on social media. He has been imprisoned since 2018 and has also been forcibly disappeared. The last time his family was able to speak with him was in 2021, when it was visibly apparent that Abdulrahman had been tortured. His family has not heard from him since. The administration previously expressed concern about his sentencing, and, in the same statement, “pledged to continue to elevate the role of human rights” in the U.S.-Saudi relationship.
  • Mohammad al-Qahtani, a prominent human rights defender and academic, is a graduate of Indiana University and the father of four U.S. citizens. He was sentenced to ten years in prison in 2013 for co-founding the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, an independent human rights organization. Al-Qahtani’s sentence expired in November 2022, but instead of being released, he was forcibly disappeared for two years. He was finally allowed to speak to his family again in November 2024, after his disappearance.
  • Dr. Salman Alodah is a prominent reformist Muslim scholar, the father of a U.S. permanent resident and the grandfather of a U.S. citizen. He has been detained since 2017 after posting on social media encouraging Saudi and Qatari authorities to end their diplomatic stand-off with a prayer for “a softening of hearts.” Since 2018, he has been on trial before the Specialized Criminal Court on charges related to the exercise of his right to free speech. Shockingly, the prosecution has demanded that he be sentenced to death.  
  • Aziza al-Yousef is a women’s rights activist, retired professor, permanent U.S. resident, and the mother of U.S. citizens. She was arrested in May 2018 for allegedly having “suspicious contact with foreign agents and providing financial support to hostile elements abroad.” After her arrest, al-Yousef was tortured, sexually abused, and subjected to other egregious abuses in an informal detention facility at an unknown location alongside other women’s rights activists. In March 2019, she was released, put under close surveillance and  a travel ban, trapping her in the country and preventing her from reuniting with family abroad until at least 2026.
  • Saad Almadi is a retired project manager and U.S. citizen who was unjustly detained in November 2021 when he arrived in Riyadh to visit his family. He was arrested solely for tweets he posted criticizing the Kingdom’s handling of poverty and referencing murdered Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi. Almadi was subsequently sentenced to 19 years in prison on charges of trying to destabilize the Kingdom and supporting and funding terrorism. After significant pressure, Almadi was released in March 2023, but has been unable to return to his home state of Florida due to a 16-year travel ban. 
  • Sarah and Omar Aljabri have been detained as hostages since 2020 in order to pressure their father, Dr. Saad Aljabri, to return to Saudi Arabia. Aljabri is a former senior Saudi intelligence official, special advisor to former Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef (MbN), and close partner of the U.S. intelligence community on counterterrorism. In a secret trial held without due process, Sarah and Omar were each sentenced on spurious charges for a total of 15 years in prison and a 15-year travel ban.

The above cases of unjust detention and travel bans have caused years of heartbreak and anguish for the targeted individuals and their families. Many others have been silenced through violent intimidation, transnational repression, and the fear of reprisals against their loved ones. We strongly urge you to use your remaining time in office to prioritize the immediate and unconditional release of unjustly detained prisoners and the lifting of unjust travel bans. Their freedom would be a vital step toward upholding your administration’s stated values and addressing the crisis of political detention in the Kingdom. 

Sincerely, 

Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC)

ALQST For Human Rights

DAWN

MENA Rights Group

Reprieve US