On July 6, 2018 Qatari student Abdulaziz Saeed Saad Halwan Abdullah was arrested by Al Mabahith State Security Forces after they raided his home in Aziziyah, Mecca.
The security forces, dressed in civilian clothes with some uniformed officers raided his flat, and confiscated Abdullah’s passport, birth certificate, and registration documents. He was then taken to Saudi State Security prosecution office, which was his last known location until January 2019.
His location was unknown until the Saudi government responded to the letter published by the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances, informing that Abdullah is being held in the prison of the General Directorate of Investigation in Riyadh. He has been continually denied family visits and has not been informed of the charges he is being held for.
Additionally, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to education and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention published a letter in April 2019 requesting further clarification on Abdullah’s situation.
Abdullah remains in prison without trial and without knowledge of the charges against him, a clear violation of due process and international law.
The European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR) calls on the European Union to take action and apply pressure on the Saudi government to implement the release of Abdulaziz Saeed Saad Halwan Abdullah.