A father of four from Britain has been detained at a Riyadh airport while vacationing with his family and is now facing a ten-year sentence in a Saudi Arabian prison over a ‘deleted’ social media post.
Ahmed al-Doush, who resides in Manchester, England, works as a senior business analyst at Bank of America.
The 41-year-old was apprehended on August 31, 2024, during a family trip to Saudi Arabia with his three children and pregnant wife, as he was about to leave King Khalid airport in Riyadh.
According to a report by The Times on Monday (May 12), al-Doush has spent nine months in a maximum-security prison due to Saudi Arabia’s stringent anti-terrorism laws, with 33 of those days reportedly in solitary confinement.
He faces allegations of criticizing the government on social media in 2018 and associating with a Saudi dissident based in London.
Earlier this week, al-Doush’s wife, Amaher Nour, was reportedly informed by a state-appointed lawyer that her husband had been charged during a specialized criminal court hearing.
Haydee Dijkstal, al-Doush’s UK-based lawyer, told the publication that her team had not received any official documents related to the charges against the Sudan-born analyst.
She noted that it remains unclear who the dissident al-Doush is allegedly linked with and which social media posts have caused offense to the government.
“The fact that it is still unclear what tweet forms the basis of the charge, even after conviction and even to the UK government, further demonstrates the fair trial violations,” Dijkstal continued. “The information known indicates that the charges against him, the proceedings, and his treatment are contrary to international law and human rights standards.”
Dijkstal has requested the Foreign Office to help uncover details of her client’s conviction.
A Foreign Office spokesperson in London stated, “We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudi Arabia and are in contact with his family and local authorities,” via The Associated Press.
Addressing her husband’s situation, Nour claims he is currently ‘struggling’ with pre-existing health issues, including thyroid problems and mental distress.
“I rarely speak to my husband but in the few snatched conversations we have managed, it’s clear Ahmed is struggling. He has thyroid problems, back pain, and is tormented by mental distress,” she remarked.
“He worries about his family, particularly as he was the sole breadwinner. He missed the birth of our fourth child and our ten-year wedding anniversary. How many more family milestones will he have to miss before the [Foreign Office] sit up and take action?”
The Times reports that the Twitter post in question was neither political nor mentioned Saudi Arabia and was eventually deleted.
According to Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia is increasingly suppressing those who express unfavorable views about the country.
“Saudi Arabia has a long and infamous record of cracking down on human rights defenders, journalists, and members of civil society, and their targets now include ‘ordinary’ members of the public who are peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression online,” stated Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Research and Advocacy Director.