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Saudi Arabia frees 35 prisoners

May 29, 2019 at 1:07 am

The prison administration of Saudi Arabia’s Qassim region has released 35 prisoners following a recent royal pardon on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, local Sabaq reported yesterday.

The beneficiaries, held in the region’s three prisons, were freed during the period from 7 – 13 Ramadan (12 – 18 May). The release included the prisons of the Buraydah city and the kingdom’s provinces of Unaizah and Ar Rass.

The Qassim region’s deputy governor for prisoners’ rights, Saleh Bin Mohammed Al-Baradi, told the agency that the state amnesty committees were “continuing to studying the inmates’ cases.”

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Riyadh has been carrying out an arrest crackdown against government opponents. The campaign is headed by the Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman.

Many prisoners inside Saudi facilities, including females, were arrested without charge but have since faced extortion, with some asked to pass part of their properties to the Kingdom or face long prison terms, such as multi-billionaire businessman Al-Walid Bin Talal – a member of the royal family who was released after conceding a portion of his property to the Kingdom.