Samar Badawi is a human rights defender who has been targeted repeatedly by the Saudi authorities for her peaceful activism. She advocates for women’s rights, civil and political rights, and the release of her brother, Raif Badawi, as well as her ex-husband, Waleed Abu Al Khair.

Mohammad Fahad Al Qahtani, a human rights defender and co-founder of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA), was sentenced on March 9, 2013 by the Criminal Court in Riyadh to 10 years of imprisonment and a 10-year travel ban on several charges related to his human rights work including “accusing the judicial and legal system of lack of independence and questioning their integrity”; “antagonising the international organisations against the Saudi government by disseminating false information”; and “using the Internet to disseminate opinions, petitions, and statements against

On May 22, 2013, Fawzan Al Harbi – a human rights defender and member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) – was prevented from boarding a flight to Geneva to attend a human rights conference by airport authorities. Al Harbi had contributed to the submission of cases of arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment to the United Nations human rights mechanisms.

On February 22, 2019, Abdulrahman Farhaneh was on his way to Dammam airport to travel to Jeddah when he was stopped at a checkpoint just before the airport controlled by the Saudi State Security Service.

Farhaneh was arrested and taken back to his home, where the officers searched his belongings for two hours, confiscating his mobile phone and laptop before taking him to an unknown location.

On November 5, 2017, Fitaihi was arrested from his office in Jeddah by police officers dressed in civilian clothes. The officers did not present an arrest warrant, nor did they provide any reason for his arrest.

The officers informed his family that they wanted to question him, and that he would be released later the same day. However, Fitaihi was taken instead to the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, where he was detained for around three months.

On August 26, 2017, Abdulaziz travelled with his mother from Turkey to Mecca to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage. After completing the Hajj rituals, Abdulaziz and his mother traveled to Medina.

On September 11, 2017, Abdulaziz informed his mother that he wanted to go back to Mecca to visit the Grand Mosque. The following day, September 12, Abdulaziz undertook the journey back to Mecca.

At around 11 p.m. on March 15, 2018, Turki Al Jasser was arrested from his home in Riyadh by Mabahith officers dressed in civilian clothes. They confiscated his wallet and electronic devices, including his mobile phone and laptop, before forcing him to go with them to an unknown location.

On June 1, 2018, Al Muraisy returned to his home in Riyadh after taking his five-year-old son to a specialised hospital to receive treatment. Upon his return, he was arrested by officers of the National Security Services dressed in civilian clothes, and forcibly taken to an unknown location. It is only about a year later, on May 15, 2019, that Al Muraisy was allowed to communicate with his family by phone and informed them that he was being held in Al-Ha'ir prison.

On June 16, 2003, Ahmad Al Hossan – 16 years-old at the time – was arrested from Hadibyah Mosque in Mecca by the Mabahith security forces. They did not present an arrest warrant nor give any reason for his arrest. 

The security forces then took Al Hossan to the Mabahith Prison where, in January 2004, he was forced under torture to sign and fingerprint a self-incriminating statement that he was not allowed to read beforehand.