Founding member and president of ACPRA, Dr. Al-Hamid has been sentenced to nice years in prison followed by a nine year travel ban upon release and a $13,300 fine
Al-Hamid was sentenced by the Specialised Criminal Court, the SCC, set up in 2008 to deal with terrorism cases only. His offences include:
- Inciting against public order
- Spreading chaos by calling for demonstrations
- Disrespecting the authorizes
- Participating and setting up an unlicensed organization – ACPRA.
Al-Hamid was arrested in April 2014 when he was instructed to go to the Criminal Investigation Bureau in the province of al-Qassim.
He was arrested immediately and his trial began in July 2014. While in prison, he was in incommunicado detention which meant he was no allowed to communicate or be visited by his family or lawyer. It was only after a hunger strike in protest to being unfairly detained, was he allowed access to visits in prison.
Al-Hamid is the ninth member of ACPRA to be imprisoned since 2012 and his sentence was handed down following a highly unfair trial that was based on false charges We at ALQST, urge the Saudi Arabia authorities to respect human rights and call for an increase of pressure on the Saudi authorities for the immediate release of Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Hamid.
The authorities must drop all charges against him without any conditions attached.