Mohammed Saleh al-Bejadi

Mohammed Saleh al-Bejadi[1]
Born1980 or 1981 (age 43–44)[2] or 1977 or 1978 (age 46–47)[3]
NationalitySaudi
Known forco-founding of ACPRA[4]
Children1 daughter[2]

Mohammed Saleh al-Bejadi[1] (or Muhammad, Salih,[3] al-Bajadi,[5] albjadi;[2] Arabic: محمد البجادي) is a co-founder of the Saudi Arabian human rights organisation Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA)[4] who has campaigned for prisoners' rights since 2007.[6][7] He spent four months in prison without charge or trial in 2007[6] and was banned from foreign travel in 2009.[6]

He was arrested 21 March 2011,[5][8][9] and on 11 March 2015 he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.[10]

He was released later in 2015, but arrested again in May 2018.[11]

Human rights activities

2007–2008

In 2007, al-Bejadi contacted international media about a sit-in held in front of a provincial governmental authority and calling for the release of prisoners. He was "detained in solitary confinement without charge or trial" from 4 September 2007 to 1 January 2008. He was released "on the condition that he would not organise any fora or gatherings, nor contact any foreign press."[6]

2009

In 2009, al-Bejadi managed a website "Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia - al-Marsad".[6] In March 2009, he was interrogated by the external security agency, Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah, his passport was confiscated, and he was forbidden from international travel until July 2009 or later. In July, the World Organisation Against Torture and the International Federation for Human Rights protested against the travel ban, saying that it was aimed at "muzzling his freedom of expression".[6]

ACPRA

In 2009, al-Bejadi and 10 other Saudi human rights activists and academics co-founded a human rights non-governmental organisation, the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA).[1]

2011–2015 detention

On 21 March 2011, during the 2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests, al-Bejadi was arrested along with several other people following a protest calling for the release of political prisoners that had taken place on 20 March.[7] Al-Bejadi was arrested in his house by Mabahith, the Saudi Arabian internal security agency, in Buraidah. Security forces surrounding his house and blockaded roads leading to it. He was arrested in handcuffs and manacles and taken to his office, which was searched for several hours while he remained shackled.[8] ACPRA stated that the arrest was arbitrary, in violation of the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia and the Law of Criminal Procedures.[8] Amnesty International designated al-Bajadi a prisoner of conscience, "held solely for the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association".[12]

Al-Bejadi was held for four months in solitary confinement and allowed a few minutes each week to telephone to his wife. He was shifted to a 4 metres (13 ft) by 6 metres (20 ft) cell with 9 other prisoners and "bright lighting all day and night". He was denied access to a doctor for 7 months.[3]

In August 2011, al-Bejadi appeared in the Specialized Criminal Court on charges of "insurrection against the ruler, instigating demonstrations, and speaking with foreign [media] channels."[13] Judge al-'Abd al-Latif prevented al-Bejadi's defence lawyers from attending the August trial session.[13] On 3 October 2011, he appeared at a secret meeting of a court which journalists and human rights activists could not attend, on charges of "membership in a banned association, the possession of prohibited books and the intent to harm the reputation of the country".[3]

As of 12 March 2012, 38 people planned a 2-day public hunger strike on 15–16 March 2012, coordinated by ACPRA, calling for al-Bejadi's release.[5][9] According to ACPRA[14] and Human Rights Watch,[15] al-Bejadi joined the hunger strike himself, and as of 11 April 2012 had been on hunger strike for nearly a month. ACPRA stated that it believed al-Bejadi's life to be in danger, as he had stopped taking water.[14] The Ministry of Interior denied the report, saying that al-Bejadi was "in good health".[16]

On 10 April 2012, al-Bejadi was sentenced to four years' imprisonment and a five-year ban on foreign travel.[15] He was released in 2015.[11]

2016–present

Following his 2015 release, al-Bejadi stopped public aspects of his human rights advocacy. On 26 October 2016, he wrote a "final tweet", stating, "I will stop writing and participating on all social media accounts for reasons that are not unknown to all of you."[17]

On 24 May 2018, during the 2018–2019 Saudi crackdown on feminists, al-Bejadi was again arrested.[11][17]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) (An Establishing Declaration) — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Monday, October 12, 2009". Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association. 12 October 2009. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "URGENT HRFS STATEMENT: HRFS calls for the immediate release of Mr. Mohammad Albjadi". Human Rights First Society. 2012. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d "Action Alert: Saudi Arabia –Call for the release of activist Muhammad Salih al-Bejadi". Islamic Human Rights Commission. 11 December 2011. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  4. ^ a b "While the Saudi elite looks nervously abroad, a revolution is happening". The Guardian. 11 April 2011. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "Saudis to go on hunger strike against activist detention". Gulf News/Thomson Reuters. 12 March 2012. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Obstacles to freedom of movement". FIDH. 14 August 2009. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Saudi Arabia detains women protesters". Amnesty International. 4 July 2011. Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  8. ^ a b c "ACPRA demands the immediate unconditional release of its co-founder, Mohammed Al-Bjady". Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association. March 2011. Archived from the original on 14 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  9. ^ a b "Saudi rights group urges support for detained hunger striker". Al Akhbar (Lebanon)/Agence France Presse. 12 March 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  10. ^ Saudi Arabia jails human rights activist Mohammed al-Bajadi
  11. ^ a b c Saudi Arabia arrests key activist in human rights crackdown, 25 May 2018 The Guardian
  12. ^ "Amnesty joins calls to free Saudi 'hunger striker'". Agence France-Presse. 13 April 2012. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  13. ^ a b "World Report 2012: Saudi Arabia". Human Rights Watch. 2012. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  14. ^ a b "Saudi activist on hunger strike 'in danger'". Al Jazeera. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  15. ^ a b "Saudi Arabia: Abolish Terrorism Court". Human Rights Watch. 27 April 2012. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  16. ^ "Saudi Arabia denies activist on hunger strike". BBC News. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  17. ^ a b "Saudi Arabia: 2 New Arrests of Activists". Human Rights Watch. 30 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.