Shadly al-Huwaiti, member of Saudi tribe displaced by NEOM, sentenced to death
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Name(s):
Shadly Ahmad Mahmoud Abou Taqiqa al-Huwaiti
Status:
Detained, on death row
Year of birth:
1975
Nationality:
Saudi
Date of arrest:
Shadly Ahmad Mahmoud Abou Taqiqa al-Huwaiti was arrested on November 14, 2020, in response to his public opposition to the NEOM project. He belongs to the al-Huwaitat tribe, which was targeted by Saudi authorities over the past two years for their vocal opposition to NEOM. During his detention, al-Huwaiti was repeatedly subjected to solitary confinement, torture, and medical negligence. He was sentenced to death by the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) on August 5, 2022.
Shadly Ahmad Mahmoud Abou Taqiqa al-Huwaiti, resident of the town of al-Khuraiba, was arrested on November 14, 2020, in response to his public opposition to the NEOM project. He was arrested at his family farm by agents belonging to the General Directorate of Investigations (GID, also known as “al-Mabahith”), in addition to agents belonging to the Special Emergency Forces, who were dressed both in civilian and official uniforms. His arrest was part of a crackdown on the al-Huwaitat tribe, which was vocally opposed to the NEOM project as it would displace them.
Both the GID and the Special Emergency Forces fall under the authority and control of the Saudi Presidency of State Security (SSP).
Al-Huwaiti was not presented with an arrest warrant at the time of his arrest, nor was he provided with any information related to the reasons behind his arrest. Shadly al-Huwaiti was arrested alongside Mahmoud and Abdullah al-Huwaiti from their family farm, after which they were transferred to the al-Tarrfiyyah prison in al-Qasim. There, he was subjected to torture as a way of coercing him to confess that he had established a terrorist cell. He was then transferred to the SSP-run Dhahban prison in Jeddah. Al-Huwaiti was only allowed to contact his lawyer over three months after his arrest. He was charged with establishing a terrorist cell and creating a Twitter account and using it to harm national unity. His family was first allowed to visit him on April 2, 2021, nearly four months after his arrest.
During this first visit, al-Huwaiti had physical marks and bruises on his face and head, and he informed his family that he had to spend 20 days in the prison infirmary as a result of the torture to which he had been subjected, including beatings, electrocutions and being forced to stand on one leg in the sun all day. He also informed his family that he had been placed in solitary confinement for the entirety of the time since his arrest. Al-Huwaiti’s family visited him several times thereafter. During their second visit, on June 29, 2021, his family learned that al-Huwaiti had been subjected to sleep deprivation, visible through his trembling hands and lack of ability to concentrate on their conversation. During the third and fourth visits, on October 19, 2021, and February 13, 2022, respectively, his family noticed that his health condition continued to worsen because of his prolonged solitary confinement and the denial of medical care. During the family’s fifth visit, they noticed new torture marks on his body, likely due to continued beatings. After this visit, al-Huwaiti was deprived of phone calls and receiving further visits, and he continued to be placed in solitary confinement. His family was only able to see him next at his first hearing before the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC), on March 14, 2022. The family was then able to visit him again on April 12, 2022, during which he had clear signs of fatigue on his face as a result of being forced to stand in the sun all day.
Shadly al-Huwaiti was sentenced to death by the SCC on August 5, 2022. The sentence was then upheld by the Specialised Criminal Court of Appeal on January 23, 2023.
On March 16, 2023, MENA Rights Group and ALQST for Human Rights requested the urgent intervention of several UN Special Procedures mandate holders, including the Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions and on the right to adequate housing. More specifically, we requested them to urge Saudi Arabia to repeal al-Huwaiti’s death sentence.
| Name(s): |
Shadly Ahmad Mahmoud Abou Taqiqa al-Huwaiti
|
| Status: |
Detained, on death row
|
| Year of birth: |
1975
|
| Nationality: |
Saudi
|
| Date of arrest: |
|
Shadly Ahmad Mahmoud Abou Taqiqa al-Huwaiti, resident of the town of al-Khuraiba, was arrested on November 14, 2020, in response to his public opposition to the NEOM project. He was arrested at his family farm by agents belonging to the General Directorate of Investigations (GID, also known as “al-Mabahith”), in addition to agents belonging to the Special Emergency Forces, who were dressed both in civilian and official uniforms. His arrest was part of a crackdown on the al-Huwaitat tribe, which was vocally opposed to the NEOM project as it would displace them.
Both the GID and the Special Emergency Forces fall under the authority and control of the Saudi Presidency of State Security (SSP).
Al-Huwaiti was not presented with an arrest warrant at the time of his arrest, nor was he provided with any information related to the reasons behind his arrest. Shadly al-Huwaiti was arrested alongside Mahmoud and Abdullah al-Huwaiti from their family farm, after which they were transferred to the al-Tarrfiyyah prison in al-Qasim. There, he was subjected to torture as a way of coercing him to confess that he had established a terrorist cell. He was then transferred to the SSP-run Dhahban prison in Jeddah. Al-Huwaiti was only allowed to contact his lawyer over three months after his arrest. He was charged with establishing a terrorist cell and creating a Twitter account and using it to harm national unity. His family was first allowed to visit him on April 2, 2021, nearly four months after his arrest.
During this first visit, al-Huwaiti had physical marks and bruises on his face and head, and he informed his family that he had to spend 20 days in the prison infirmary as a result of the torture to which he had been subjected, including beatings, electrocutions and being forced to stand on one leg in the sun all day. He also informed his family that he had been placed in solitary confinement for the entirety of the time since his arrest. Al-Huwaiti’s family visited him several times thereafter. During their second visit, on June 29, 2021, his family learned that al-Huwaiti had been subjected to sleep deprivation, visible through his trembling hands and lack of ability to concentrate on their conversation. During the third and fourth visits, on October 19, 2021, and February 13, 2022, respectively, his family noticed that his health condition continued to worsen because of his prolonged solitary confinement and the denial of medical care. During the family’s fifth visit, they noticed new torture marks on his body, likely due to continued beatings. After this visit, al-Huwaiti was deprived of phone calls and receiving further visits, and he continued to be placed in solitary confinement. His family was only able to see him next at his first hearing before the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC), on March 14, 2022. The family was then able to visit him again on April 12, 2022, during which he had clear signs of fatigue on his face as a result of being forced to stand in the sun all day.
Shadly al-Huwaiti was sentenced to death by the SCC on August 5, 2022. The sentence was then upheld by the Specialised Criminal Court of Appeal on January 23, 2023.
On March 16, 2023, MENA Rights Group and ALQST for Human Rights requested the urgent intervention of several UN Special Procedures mandate holders, including the Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions and on the right to adequate housing. More specifically, we requested them to urge Saudi Arabia to repeal al-Huwaiti’s death sentence.