Personal information
- Sex: Male
French national
Arrest and jail information
- Prison: Dhahban Central Prison, Jeddah
Trial information
- Charges: Relating both to the visa issue – “illegal entry to Mecca” – and to peaceful free expression – “insulting the government” and “praising prosecuted individuals”
- Court: Specialised Criminal Court (SCC)
- Date of verdict: 16 June 2024
Violations
- Arbitrary arrest/ detention ,
- Enforced disappearance ,
- Denied contact with family ,
- Torture and ill-treatment ,
- Observers denied access to court hearings ,
- Denied access to healthcare
Violation details
He has faced repeated physical and psychological torture in detention, including beatings, being slammed against a wall, and death threats. As a result, he sustained injuries and suffered deterioration of his health, yet the authorities have denied him essential medical care.Timeline
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26 May 2025 - At the first hearing of his case in the SCC, Abdelfattah appeared without legal representation, and at subsequent hearings the court indicated that if he refused to defend himself (having been denied a lawyer) this would be taken as admission of guilt. Abdelfattah’s family have not been allowed to attend the hearings, and neither have French diplomats. -
June 2024 - May 2025 - Abdelfattah was detained for more than 11 months before eventually being put on trial, in May 2025, on charges relating both to the visa issue – “illegal entry to Mecca” – and to peaceful free expression – “insulting the government” and “praising prosecuted individuals”.
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16-17 June 2024 - He was initially detained at the Haram police station and transferred the following day to Dhahban Prison near Jeddah. -
16 June 2024 - He was stopped by security officials while taking part in the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, and was asked to show his Hajj permit. It transpired that his permit was invalid and he had unknowingly fallen victim to a visa scam, a common occurrence that the authorities are trying to crack down on.
