Tariq Aziz Conditionally released

Arrest and jail information

• Prison: Al-Mabaheth (General Investigations Directorate), Dammam
• Date of arrest: 19 May 2021
• Manner of arrest: On 19 May 2021 Tariq Aziz was arrested after getting back to home from work. A car was waiting in front of his house. When he reached home, two people wearing civilian clothes got out of the car and tried to open his car (forcing it without presenting themselves). As Tariq was not obeying, not knowing they were the state security, they pulled out arms to force him out of the car. Once he opened the car, they allowed him to drive it himself by following the state security's car and with agents joining him in his car. They drove until a police station, and while waiting for the official responsible of his case, they did not let Tariq call his family. Producing, preparing and sending anything that would prejudice public order or religious commitment and public morals via the information network through his account on the social networking site Twitter. And his support for homosexuality and seeking to give them their rights, as he claims, and mocking and ridiculing the director of the Public Taste Society, mocking the symbolism of the Saudi flag, sympathizing with one of those arrested by the security authorities, calling for his release, and storing video clips and abnormal pictures of him and other people on his phone

Trial information

• Charges: Producing, preparing and sending material that prejudices public order, religious and public morals via his account on Twitter. His support for homosexuality and seeking to give them their rights (as he claims), and mocking and ridiculing the director of the Public Decency Commission, mocking the symbolism of the Saudi flag, sympathizing with one of those arrested by the security authorities, calling for his release, and storing video clips and undecent pictures of him and other people on his phone
• Verdict: Tariq Aziz was sentenced to a year in prison, and a fine of 10 thousand Rials. He was also sentenced to having his Twitter account shut.
• Date of verdict: 6 July 2021

Violations

• Arbitrary arrest/ detention ,
• Denied access to a lawyer ,
• Observers denied access to court hearings