Abdullah al-Derazi

Arrest and jail information

• Prison: Al-Mabaheth (General Investigations Directorate), Dammam
• Date of arrest: 27 August 2014
• Manner of arrest: Beaten, tortured and arrested in the street without a warrant.

Trial information

• Charges: Al-Derazi faced a number of charges, including collaborating in the formation of a terrorist cell aiming to undermine the country’s internal security; targeting security personnel; attacking and destroying public property; committing acts of sabotage, anarchy and highway obstruction; seeking to create civil strife, disunity and schisms in the country; and taking part in demonstrations and marches. He was also charged with taking part in the funeral of Ahmad Matar on 31 December 2012, when he was 17 years and two months old; and burning tyres and throwing Molotov cocktails, also when he was a minor.
• Verdict: Execution
• Date of verdict: August 2018

Violations

• Arbitrary arrest/ detention ,
• Enforced disappearance ,
• Denied contact with family ,
• Denied access to a lawyer ,
• Torture and ill-treatment ,
• Observers denied access to court hearings

Violation details

Abdullah al-Derazi was forcibly disappeared for three months, in that he was held incommunicado and his family had no knowledge of his whereabouts. He remained in solitary confinement for approximately six months, during which he was physically tortured by means of beatings and burns as well as psychologically tortured. This led to burns around his eye, broken teeth and a knee injury, which resulted in him being taken to hospital more than once. During court hearings al-Derazi affirmed before the judge that he had been subjected to severe torture and forced to sign confessions; he also said he was still suffering from earache and requested a medical report, but did not get one. Al-Derazi asked the court not to rely on the confessions submitted by the Public Prosecution, pointing out that he had signed them under duress. He said: “Bear in mind that I was beaten and tortured by various means while I categorically rejected in their presence all the baseless accusations made against me; one of them came to me while I was blindfolded and told me they had found me not guilty, and he was going to get me to put my fingerprint on a set of documents for my release; and because I was young and had no understanding of these matters I believed him and put my prints on some papers, trusting that I had been acquitted and they were going to release me, not suddenly hand me over to the Mabaheth (General Investigations Directorate).” Al-Derazi was denied a fair trial, as he was not assigned a lawyer until after the court hearings had begun.