Employee of Saudi Red Crescent sentenced to 20 years in prison after three years of disappearance
Timeline
April 5, 2022: The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) issues Opinion No. 30/2022, stating that Al Sadhan is being detained arbitrarily and calling on the authorities to immediately release him.
November 24, 2021: MENA Rights Group requests the WGEID to re-open Al Sadhan’s case.
November 19, 2021: MENA Rights Group submits Al Sadhan’s case to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD).
November 2, 2021: Al Sadhan’s legal representative appeals the second instance’s ruling before the Saudi Supreme Court.
October 5, 2021: The SCC appeal chamber upholds the first instance’s ruling.
May 4, 2021: Al Sadhan’s legal representative submits the appeal before the SCC appeal chamber.
April 14, 2021: MENA Rights Group and ALQST for Human Rights submit Al Sadhan’s case, along with the cases of several other Saudi human rights defenders, to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.
April 7, 2021: MENA Rights Group submits an urgent appeal to several UN Special Procedures, including the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, to request Al Sadhan’s immediate and unconditional release.
April 5, 2021: The SCC sentences Al Sadhan to 20 years in prison, followed by a travel ban of another 20 years. Al Sadhan is given 30 days to appeal the decision.
March 25, 2021: In a fifth hearing, the prosecutor presents a number of allegations, such as Al Sadhan having omitted to ask for a lawyer. His family denies the allegations.
March 22, 2021: Al Sadhan’s fourth hearing goes ahead in the absence of any legal representation.
March 17, 2021: In his third hearing, Al Sadhan’s lawyer presents his defence, refuting all accusations made against him.
March 11, 2021: A second hearing takes place, with Al Sadhan being represented by a court-appointed lawyer. A document of over 200 pages is presented, which contains tweets as “evidence” and confessions made by Al Sadhan under duress.
March 3, 2021: Al Sadhan is brought to a secret trial before the SCC for a first hearing. He is charged in relation to two satirical Twitter accounts he was running.
February 22, 2021: Al Sadhan is allowed for a second time to make a call to his family.
Mid-February, 2020: Al Sadhan is allowed to call his family for the first time.
November 25, 2018: National Society for Human Rights informs family of his transfer to Al Ha’ir Prison.
November 1, 2018: MENA Rights Group submits his case to the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances.
March 12, 2018: Al Sadhan is arrested by agents of the State Security Presidency (SSP) at the Saudi Red Crescent Authority headquarters in Riyadh.
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