Saudi prisoner Musa Al-Qarni dies of torture, says rights group

Saudi prisoner, Musa Al-Qarni, has been beaten to death by extremist prisoners after spending 14 years in detention, the Prisoners of Conscience group announced yesterday.

“Al-Qarni was beaten in the head and face by extremist prisoners, as the prison administration placed him with them and refused to transfer him with the elderly,” the rights group said on Twitter.

🔴 Confirmed to us that the cause of Sheikh Musa Al-Qarni’s death was that he was beaten in the head and face by extremist prisoners, as the prison administration placed him with them and refused to transfer him with the elderly.#موسى_القرني pic.twitter.com/ZKC9424wqN

— Prisoners of Conscience (@m3takl_en) October 19, 2021

The organisation pointed out that the beatings were the “reason behind the authorities refusing to hand over his body to his family to say goodbye.”

“Al-Qarni’s death happened last Saturday 9 October, while the authorities did not disclose it until yesterday,” the PoC noted.

READ: Saudi Arabia releases prominent rights advocate after 15 years in prison 

Al-Qarni was a prominent preacher and academic who held a doctorate in the principles of jurisprudence.

He was subjected to harsh treatment in prison including being forced to stand on one foot for long periods, being isolated in a narrow cell and electrocuted, according to human rights reports.

The 67-year-old Saudi academic was serving a 20-year prison sentence, in addition to being banned from travel for another 20 years after his release.

Authorities charged Al-Qarni, who has been in detention since 2011, with “disobeying the ruler and revolting against the norms by participating in establishing a secret organisation aimed at ravaging the current system and taking over power.”