Judge Suliman Ibrahim Al-Reshoudi, a leading human rights defender and a member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA), is still in incommunicado detention after more than three years, without having been officially charged.

Further Information

Al-Reshoudi and eight other civil rights leaders were arrested in Jeddah on 2 February 2007 by officials from the Directorate of General Investigations (DGI). They were detained in relation to their advocacy for peaceful political change and the protection and promotion of human rights. They were targeted by the authorities after they circulated a petition calling for political reform and discussed a proposal to establish an independent human rights organisation in Saudi Arabia. Judge Suliman Ibrahim Al-Reshoudi was recently transferred from Dhaban prison in Jeddah to Al-Hair prison in Riyadh.

On 22 March 2010, the legal defence team of Judge Suliman Al-Reshoudi issued a statement in which they demand his immediate and unconditional release and consider his detention as being in clear violation of the Saudi Basic Law of Governance and the Law of Criminal Procedure. The statement also highlights the many legal steps that the defence team has taken to secure the release of Judge Suliman Al-Reshoud, including filing a lawsuit against the Ministry of Interior in the Administrative (Grievances) Court in Riyadh on 16 August 2009 for the arbitrary arrest and detention of Judge Suliman Al-Reshoudi. The first court session in this case was originally scheduled for 21 December 2009 but was postponed until 3 February 2010 when the Ministry of the Interior's lawyer did not attend. Subsequent hearings took place on 27 February and 20 March. The Ministry of the Interior has thus far failed to provide the court with a list of charges against Judge Suliman Al-Reshoudi and his colleagues. The next session in this lawsuit is scheduled for 28 April 2010.

Meanwhile, on 13 January 2010, for no apparent reason, DGI officials transferred all the detainees from Dhaban prison to Al-Hair prison, where Judge Suliman Al-Reshoudi continues to be held. DGI officials telephoned the families of the detainees to inform them about the transfer but did not give any further details to them or to Judge Suliman Ibrahim Al-Reshoudi's defence team.

Front Line believes that Judge Suliman Ibrahim Al-Reshoudi continues to be arbitrarily held in incommunicado detention as a direct result of his human rights activities. Front Line fears for the physical and psychological integrity of Judge Suliman Ibrahim Al-Reshoudi while in detention.