Detention of Hamas’ envoy to Saudi Arabia breach of conventions

Professor Saad Al Faqih, a Saudi politician and founder of the Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia (MIRA), said on Sunday that Saudi’s detention of Dr Mohammad Al Khodari, Hamas’ envoy to Riyadh, “is a breach of Saudi and international conventions.”

Speaking to Shehab News Agency, Al Faqih said that Al Khodari was an official ambassador to the Kingdom and enjoyed safety as he represented an official Palestinian party, as well as he had relations with Saudi officials.

“How could Dr Al Khodari be detained while he had official relations with the Saudi authorities which were aware of his activities?” he asked. “He [Al Khodari] did not commit any crime; otherwise, he would have been indicted,” Al Faqih said.

The prominent Saudi academic pointed out that “there is no legal or conventional basis for detaining Al Khodari,” stressing that his detention “is no more than political pressure.”

Al Faqih drew attention to the parties that benefited from Al Khodari’s detention and noted that this old Palestinian man should be honoured. “If the country did not want him on its soil, at least, it should deport him,” Al Faqih said.

He reiterated that his detention is an attempt to put pressure on Hamas as well as to undermine any international solidarity with the Palestinian cause in the Kingdom, primarily in light of the ongoing normalisation deals signed between the Arab regimes and Israel.

Prof Al Faqih stressed that Al Khodari’s release requires concerted international pressure on Saudi Arabia. This, however, is unlikely to happen any time soon because Hamas does not enjoy the support of Western countries or the existing Arab regimes.

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