Saudi extends detention of activist right before his release

Saudi Arabia extended the prison sentence for activist, Mohammed al-Rabiah, right before the end of the term he is serving, sparing criticism by human rights organisations.

Authorities arrested Al-Rabiah on 15 May 2018 as part of a campaign of arrests targeting women, clerics and human rights defenders in the kingdom.

On 20 April 2021, the Specialised Criminal Court sentenced him to six and a half years in prison.

Al-Rabiah was due to be released in September, but was re-tried just before his expected release date and sentenced to 17 years in prison.

Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) denounced the Saudi judiciary’s decision, explaining that “Al-Rabiah was arbitrarily and secretly re-tried before the end of his 6-year’s sentence.”.

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