Young Saudi dissident sentenced to death for participating in funerals and protests as a minor
Name(s):
Hassan Zaki al-Faraj
Status:
Detained
Year of birth:
1997
Nationality:
Saudi
Date of arrest:
Hassan al-Faraj is a Saudi citizen currently detained in Dammam Prison in Riyadh. During 2011 and 2012 as a minor, al-Faraj participated in demonstrations to protest against the treatment of the Shiite minority in al-Qatif and the funerals of the victims who were killed by government forces during protests. He was brutally arrested and detained since 2017 for acts related to the exercise of his freedom of expression, and was sentenced by Saudi Arabia’s Specialised Criminal Court and the Court of Appeal to the death penalty. His case is currently pending before the Supreme Court.
In 2011 and 2012, Hassan al-Faraj participated in demonstrations to protest against the treatment of the Shiite minority in al-Qatif and the funerals of the victims who were killed by government forces during protests.
On June 29, 2017, he was brutally arrested in Al-Qatif by armed forces. Since then, he has been subjected to severe acts of torture, put in solitary confinement and was denied communication with the outside world for prolonged periods of time.
In October 2020, al-Faraj’s trial before the Specialised Criminal Court began after three years in detention. He faced several charges related to his participation in demonstrations, marches, and funerals. At least one of the charges relates to acts he had committed while he was a minor, namely attending funerals of victims.
On October 3, 2022, the Specialised Criminal Court issued a death sentence against al-Faraj. On November 4, 2022, the Specialised Criminal Court of Appeal upheld the sentence. The case is now pending before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court may either grant a retrial or uphold the death sentence with a final decision, which would mean that he would be at risk of imminent execution. He is currently detained in Dammam prison.
On June 14, 2023, MENA Rights Group and the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights file a Request for Opinion to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, asking to recognise the arbitrariness of his detention and urge the Saudi authorities to release him or at least commute the sentence to a less severe one.
On November 15, 2024, the UN WGAD issued its Opinion No. 71/2024, where it determined that al-Faraj had been arbitrarily deprived of his liberty “without a proper basis in law” and in violation of his rights to a fair trial and to non-discrimination. Furthermore, the Working Group found that he was arrested and charged on the basis of acts that fell within his rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association “guaranteed under articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. Additionally, the UN WGAD determined that the Saudi authorities violated the Convention on the Rights of the Child, of which Saudi Arabia is a State Party, as there is a risk that he was “detained and sentenced to death based on acts committed prior to the age of 18 years.”
| Name(s): |
Hassan Zaki al-Faraj
|
| Status: |
Detained
|
| Year of birth: |
1997
|
| Nationality: |
Saudi
|
| Date of arrest: |
|
In 2011 and 2012, Hassan al-Faraj participated in demonstrations to protest against the treatment of the Shiite minority in al-Qatif and the funerals of the victims who were killed by government forces during protests.
On June 29, 2017, he was brutally arrested in Al-Qatif by armed forces. Since then, he has been subjected to severe acts of torture, put in solitary confinement and was denied communication with the outside world for prolonged periods of time.
In October 2020, al-Faraj’s trial before the Specialised Criminal Court began after three years in detention. He faced several charges related to his participation in demonstrations, marches, and funerals. At least one of the charges relates to acts he had committed while he was a minor, namely attending funerals of victims.
On October 3, 2022, the Specialised Criminal Court issued a death sentence against al-Faraj. On November 4, 2022, the Specialised Criminal Court of Appeal upheld the sentence. The case is now pending before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court may either grant a retrial or uphold the death sentence with a final decision, which would mean that he would be at risk of imminent execution. He is currently detained in Dammam prison.
On June 14, 2023, MENA Rights Group and the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights file a Request for Opinion to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, asking to recognise the arbitrariness of his detention and urge the Saudi authorities to release him or at least commute the sentence to a less severe one.
On November 15, 2024, the UN WGAD issued its Opinion No. 71/2024, where it determined that al-Faraj had been arbitrarily deprived of his liberty “without a proper basis in law” and in violation of his rights to a fair trial and to non-discrimination. Furthermore, the Working Group found that he was arrested and charged on the basis of acts that fell within his rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association “guaranteed under articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. Additionally, the UN WGAD determined that the Saudi authorities violated the Convention on the Rights of the Child, of which Saudi Arabia is a State Party, as there is a risk that he was “detained and sentenced to death based on acts committed prior to the age of 18 years.”
Timeline
71/2024 and finds his detention to be arbitrary and calls for his immediate release.
