The number of prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia has increased to 2,613 detainees, according to Saudi human rights sources.
The Twitter account of Prisoners of Conscience concerned with the detainees in Saudi Arabia stated in a tweet that: “the number of prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia has increased to 2,613 detainees.”
🔴 We confirm the increase of the number of conscience detainees in Saudi Arabia to 2,613, including prominent lawyers, judges, academics, scientists and journalists. pic.twitter.com/vyTz8pbL3E
— Prisoners of Conscience (@m3takl_en) September 16, 2018
The Twitter account added that “prominent lawyers, judges, academics, Muslim scholars, and media professionals” were among the detainees.
It is noteworthy that there are detainees in the Kingdom who have been imprisoned for more than 10 years either under sentences approved by the court against them or without charges and judicial rulings.
Read: Saudi arrests actor for sympathising with prisoners
Since September 10, 2017, there have been hundreds of arrests in Saudi Arabia, despite human rights activists’ denunciation, and calls from international organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to immediately release detainees, and precedent calls to immediately disclose their whereabouts and allow them to communicate with their families and lawyers.
In May, the arrests reached human rights activists and feminist activists. They were accused by authorities of having connections with foreign parties as a result of their activity on women’s rights.
In the midst of these various arrests, there have been other arrests in the eastern region where the Shiite opposition has been active since the execution of the Shiite cleric Nimr Al-Nimr in early 2016. Authorities arrested dozens of young people on charges of collecting weapons and communicating with Iran.