Young Saudi dissident faces execution for protesting as a minor
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Name(s):
Yusuf Al-Manasif
Status:
Detained
Year of birth:
1996
Nationality:
Saudi
Date of arrest:
Yusuf Al-Manasif is a Saudi citizen currently detained in Dammam Prison in Riyadh. During 2011 and 2012 as a minor, Al-Manasif 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, Yusuf Al-Manasif 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 6 April 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. Because of the intensity of the beatings and acts of torture, he was hospitalised at least once.
On 6 September 2019, Al-Manasif was charged by the Public Prosecution for the first time. 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 still fifteen and sixteen years old, namely attending funerals of victims.
On 16 October 2022, the Specialised Criminal Court issued a death sentence against Al-Manasif. He was found guilty of charges relating to acts allegedly committed when he was a minor. On 2 November 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 14 June 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.
| Name(s): |
Yusuf Al-Manasif
|
| Status: |
Detained
|
| Year of birth: |
1996
|
| Nationality: |
Saudi
|
| Date of arrest: |
|
In 2011 and 2012, Yusuf Al-Manasif 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 6 April 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. Because of the intensity of the beatings and acts of torture, he was hospitalised at least once.
On 6 September 2019, Al-Manasif was charged by the Public Prosecution for the first time. 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 still fifteen and sixteen years old, namely attending funerals of victims.
On 16 October 2022, the Specialised Criminal Court issued a death sentence against Al-Manasif. He was found guilty of charges relating to acts allegedly committed when he was a minor. On 2 November 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 14 June 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.