Human Right Violations
Arbitrary Detention
Kidnap
On March 12, 2018, Abdulrahman was kidnapped by the Saudi secret police from his workplace at the Red Crescent Headquarter office in Riyadh, during a mass crackdown on peaceful activists, critics and online commentators. They detained him without a warrant. They confiscated his phone and car and escorted him to unknown location. They didn’t even allow him to call anyone from his family or to inform them of his detention. From that day, they haven’t seen him since. He was held in incommunicado detention without charges, access to lawyer or any contact with the outside world.
Enforced Disappearance
Torture
As the months went by, his family started to receive horrifying reports of torture from witnesses and relatives of other inmates. We learned that my brother was held in an unofficial prison where most of the torture took place. He was subjected to severe torture which included, but not limited to electrical shots, beatings, flogging, suspension in stress-positions, threats of death, insults, verbal humiliation and solitary confinement. He was also forced to sign on documents while blindfolded. We learned also that several other detainees were going through similar conditions indicating this was a systematic practice by the Saudi regime.
Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Speech
The Saudi officials targeted Abdulrahman, among many others, for his peaceful criticism on Twitter of human right violations by Saudi officials. Abdulrahman didn't use his name on Twitter since freedom of speech is oppressed in Saudi, yet Saudi officials have used every possible mean, including using spyware and hacking technologies such as NSO and even bribing Twitter employees of Saudi origin who fled the US once exposed and now (wanted by the FBI). These spies have leak 6000+ accounts of Saudi and non Saudi accounts including human right activists and journalists. information and users data with the Saudi officials to uncover the identify of these anonymous accounts and target online critics and commentators. Abdulrahman critique was peaceful and was loved for stating the facts about real issues that the Saudi people are dealing with, such as poverty, economical challenges, equality, civil and human rights. He was also known for his great sense of humor which made his voice unique.
The account amassed upwards of 180,000 followers. There are grounds to believe that Al-Sadhan's Twitter account was one of the 6,000 targeted by the former Twitter employees who spied for the Saudi government.