Ahmed al-Doush, 41, a British national, was given ten years in prison after being apprehended by Saudi authorities. This extreme retribution comes as a result of a single tweet he made in 2018. In August, authorities nabbed al-Doush at a Riyadh airport. He recently was just trying to get his family home from New Hampshire to Manchester, England. The now-deleted tweet chose to focus on Sudan, leaving out any mention of Saudi Arabia.
For these alleged acts, the Saudi government charged al-Doush with violating its terrorism and anti-cyber crime laws. His case has received widespread international attention, with human rights organizations like Index on Censorship and Article 19 condemning it as a crackdown on free speech. Al-Doush was held in detention for nine months before his sentencing on Monday.
Al-Doush’s wife, Amaher Nour, gave birth to their fourth child just days after his arrest. Amidst the challenges of her husband’s imprisonment, she expressed concern for al-Doush’s wellbeing.
“I rarely speak to my husband, but in the few snatched conversations we have managed, it is clear that Ahmed is struggling,” – Amaher Nour
Reports also show that al-Doush suffers from thyroid issues, raising alarm even further as to the circumstances of his continued health while imprisoned. Furthermore, his connection with the son of a prominent Saudi critic in exile may have heightened the scrutiny against him.
Amnesty International has issued several public statements advocating for al-Doush’s case. Further, they claim that his trial and detention featured grave violations of fair trial rights and due process guarantees. The FCO’s new guidance similarly calls on the UK government to adopt a robust position against al-Doush’s imprisonment.
“His trial and detention involved fair trial & due process violations. The UK Gov should stand firmly against a British national’s imprisonment for allegedly exercising his free speech rights.” – Haydee Dijkstal
The UK government has been under pressure to intervene on behalf of al-Doush. The Saudi press office did not return requests for comment. Much like the UK’s Foreign Office, other European leaders have been notably quiet on the issue.
