Shia Saudi businessman sentenced to death after refusing to collaborate with Saudi government
Name(s):
Saud al-Faraj
Status:
Detained
Year of birth:
1980
Profession:
Businessman
Nationality:
Saudi
Date of arrest:
Saud al-Faraj is a Saudi businessman who took part in the 2011 anti-government protests in al-Qatif, Saudi Arabia, which were held in response to the treatment of the Shi’a minority. He was arrested by an armed squad after refusing to carry out an intelligence mission for the Mabahith (Secret Police Agency). He was then convicted by the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) of namely, participating in protests, running a terrorist cell, and killing a police officer. He was sentenced to death by the same court. The Specialised Criminal Court of Appeal (SCCA) upheld his death sentence and his case is currently pending before the Supreme Court.
Al-Faraj comes from the Eastern Province of al-Qatif in Saudi Arabia. In 2011 and 2012, he participated in demonstrations protesting against the treatment of the Shi’a minority. He also attended the funerals of the victims who were killed by the government forces during these protests.
At the beginning of November 2019, al-Faraj received a phone call from the Lieutenant Colonel of the Mabahith who asked him to take part in an intelligence mission on behalf of the Saudi government. Al-Faraj refused to take part in the mission and was therefore threatened by the Lieutenant.
Two weeks later, state forces raided one of the warehouses of a company belonging to al-Faraj, confiscating construction equipment.
At the beginning of December 2019, al-Faraj and his family returned home at around 03:00 am to find out that their neighbourhood was raided by the army. They were informed that government forces had fired at his house with machine guns, and that they were looking for him.
Al-Faraj therefore headed to one of his company’s warehouses with his wife and daughter. A few hours later, the warehouse was raided by security forces, and al-Faraj was brutally beaten and arrested. The squad that arrested him did not present an arrest warrant nor did they tell him the reason for his arrest.
He was brought to the General Prison in Dammam where he was threatened and subjected to severe acts of torture and ill-treatments in order for him to write a false confession, which he ended up doing. Al-Faraj was placed in solitary confinement for two years. During that time, he was deprived of any contact with his family, friends, or a lawyer.
On December 7, 2020, August 24, 2021, and December 20, 2021, al-Faraj submitted complaints for torture and abuse to a member of the Public Prosecution. He insisted that the Prosecutor provides him with a proof that the complaints had rightfully been filed, but these requests ended in vain.
In 2021, al-Faraj was transferred to another prison with no apparent reason where he was brought for the first time before a judge and a prosecutor where he was informed of the charges against him again for the first time. The charges included being the leader of a terrorist cell, receiving military trainings on weapons and explosives in Iran, targeting armoured vehicles, participating in protests, and killing a police officer. He was brought back to Dammam’s General Prison immediately after.
On October and November of the same year, al-Faraj was brought before a judicial authority, where he was able to explain everything that had happened to him, including the torture and abuse inflicted by the investigators. He submitted a written statement about what had happened and asked the judicial authority to include it in his case file, which they never did.
On November 2, 2022, al-Faraj’s trial in front of the Specialised Criminal Court took place. There, he claimed his innocence, explained once more what he endured at the hands of the investigators, and stated that the “confession” included in his case file was forced and does not reflect the truth. Nonetheless, the Court used his forced confession as the sole evidence to convict him and sentence him to death.
The Specialised Criminal Court of Appeal (SCCA) upheld his death sentence.
Al-Faraj’s lawyer subsequently filed an appeal to the Supreme Court. However, his case remains pending in front of the Court to this day.
During his detention, al-Faraj has written a total of six letters to the judges of the SCC and SCCA, explaining his situation over and over again, claiming his innocence and asking for the judges to show mercy on his case. He also wrote letters to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and to the Saudi Human Rights Commission, to ask them to interfere in his favour. Members of his family also wrote to different Saudi Ministers for the same reason. None of these letters were answered.
At the end of 2023, MENA Rights Group and the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR) submitted a request for Opinion to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UN WGAD), asking them to deem his detention arbitrary and to request his release.
The UN WGAD later issued an Opinion on his case and found his detention to be arbitrary and called for his immediate release. According to the Working Group, al Faraj’s detention lacks any legal basis, stems from the exercise of his rights and freedoms, severely violates his due process rights, and is discriminatory as it is based on his religion. Saud al-Faraj has been retried by the Specialised Criminal Court on 5 March 2025 and re-sentenced to death. He is still held in Dammam prison.
| Name(s): |
Saud al-Faraj
|
| Status: |
Detained
|
| Year of birth: |
1980
|
| Profession: |
Businessman
|
| Nationality: |
Saudi
|
| Date of arrest: |
|
Al-Faraj comes from the Eastern Province of al-Qatif in Saudi Arabia. In 2011 and 2012, he participated in demonstrations protesting against the treatment of the Shi’a minority. He also attended the funerals of the victims who were killed by the government forces during these protests.
At the beginning of November 2019, al-Faraj received a phone call from the Lieutenant Colonel of the Mabahith who asked him to take part in an intelligence mission on behalf of the Saudi government. Al-Faraj refused to take part in the mission and was therefore threatened by the Lieutenant.
Two weeks later, state forces raided one of the warehouses of a company belonging to al-Faraj, confiscating construction equipment.
At the beginning of December 2019, al-Faraj and his family returned home at around 03:00 am to find out that their neighbourhood was raided by the army. They were informed that government forces had fired at his house with machine guns, and that they were looking for him.
Al-Faraj therefore headed to one of his company’s warehouses with his wife and daughter. A few hours later, the warehouse was raided by security forces, and al-Faraj was brutally beaten and arrested. The squad that arrested him did not present an arrest warrant nor did they tell him the reason for his arrest.
He was brought to the General Prison in Dammam where he was threatened and subjected to severe acts of torture and ill-treatments in order for him to write a false confession, which he ended up doing. Al-Faraj was placed in solitary confinement for two years. During that time, he was deprived of any contact with his family, friends, or a lawyer.
On December 7, 2020, August 24, 2021, and December 20, 2021, al-Faraj submitted complaints for torture and abuse to a member of the Public Prosecution. He insisted that the Prosecutor provides him with a proof that the complaints had rightfully been filed, but these requests ended in vain.
In 2021, al-Faraj was transferred to another prison with no apparent reason where he was brought for the first time before a judge and a prosecutor where he was informed of the charges against him again for the first time. The charges included being the leader of a terrorist cell, receiving military trainings on weapons and explosives in Iran, targeting armoured vehicles, participating in protests, and killing a police officer. He was brought back to Dammam’s General Prison immediately after.
On October and November of the same year, al-Faraj was brought before a judicial authority, where he was able to explain everything that had happened to him, including the torture and abuse inflicted by the investigators. He submitted a written statement about what had happened and asked the judicial authority to include it in his case file, which they never did.
On November 2, 2022, al-Faraj’s trial in front of the Specialised Criminal Court took place. There, he claimed his innocence, explained once more what he endured at the hands of the investigators, and stated that the “confession” included in his case file was forced and does not reflect the truth. Nonetheless, the Court used his forced confession as the sole evidence to convict him and sentence him to death.
The Specialised Criminal Court of Appeal (SCCA) upheld his death sentence.
Al-Faraj’s lawyer subsequently filed an appeal to the Supreme Court. However, his case remains pending in front of the Court to this day.
During his detention, al-Faraj has written a total of six letters to the judges of the SCC and SCCA, explaining his situation over and over again, claiming his innocence and asking for the judges to show mercy on his case. He also wrote letters to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and to the Saudi Human Rights Commission, to ask them to interfere in his favour. Members of his family also wrote to different Saudi Ministers for the same reason. None of these letters were answered.
At the end of 2023, MENA Rights Group and the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR) submitted a request for Opinion to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UN WGAD), asking them to deem his detention arbitrary and to request his release.
The UN WGAD later issued an Opinion on his case and found his detention to be arbitrary and called for his immediate release. According to the Working Group, al Faraj’s detention lacks any legal basis, stems from the exercise of his rights and freedoms, severely violates his due process rights, and is discriminatory as it is based on his religion. Saud al-Faraj has been retried by the Specialised Criminal Court on 5 March 2025 and re-sentenced to death. He is still held in Dammam prison.
