Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Ahmed Ali Al-Doush
Topics: Crime, Saudi Arabia, UK News, Social Media
Ella Scott
Topics: Crime, Saudi Arabia, UK News, Social Media
A British father-of-four who was arrested at an airport in Riyadh while vacationing with his family is set to spend a decade behind bars in a Saudi Arabian prison over a ‘deleted’ social media post.
Ahmed al-Doush lives in Manchester, England and is a senior business analyst at the Bank of America.
On August 31, 2024, while on vacation in Saudi Arabia with his three children and pregnant wife, the 41-year-old was reprimanded and subsequently arrested at King Khalid airport in Riyadh.
On Monday (May 12), The Times reported that he has spent nine months in a maximum security prison under Saudi Arabia’s strict anti-terrorism laws, with 33 days of this allegedly being spent in solitary confinement.
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Charges against him allegedly include: criticising the government on social media in 2018 and associating with a London-based Saudi dissident.
Doush’s wife, Amaher Nour, was reportedly contacted earlier this week by a state-appointed lawyer, who told her that their client had been charged with an offence at a specialised criminal court hearing.
Haydee Dijkstal, Doush’s lawyer in the UK, told the publication that her legal team had not seen any documentation regarding the Sudan-born analyst’s charges.
She stated it was currently unclear who the dissident Doush has allegedly been fraternising with and what posts on social media the government had taken offence over.
“The fact that it is still unclear what tweet forms the basis of the charge, even after conviction and even to the UK government, further demonstrates the fair trial violations, Dijkstal continued. “The information known indicates that the charges against him, the proceedings and his treatment are contrary to international law and human rights standards.”
Dijkstal has since put in a request with the Foreign Office in hopes of uncovering details of her client’s conviction.
“We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudi Arabia and are in contact with his family and local authorities,” a spokesperson for the Foreign Office in London said in a statement (via The Associated Press).
Speaking about her husband, Nour claims he is currently ‘struggling’ with pre-existing health conditions, such as issues with his thyroid and mental distress.
“I rarely speak to my husband but in the few snatched conversations we have managed, it’s clear Ahmed is struggling. He has thyroid problems, back pain and is tormented by mental distress." she said.
“He worries about his family, particularly as he was the sole breadwinner. He missed the birth of our fourth child and our ten-year wedding anniversary. How many more family milestones will he have to miss before the [Foreign Office] sit up and take action?”
The Times states that the Twitter post was not political, did not mention Saudi Arabia, and was later deleted.
According to Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia is increasingly cracking down on those who express negative sentiments about the country.
"Saudi Arabia has a long and infamous record of cracking down on human rights defenders, journalists and members of civil society, and their targets now include ‘ordinary’ members of the public who are peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression online." Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Research and Advocacy Director said.
LADbible Group has previously contacted the Saudi Arabian embassy for further comment.