ALQST for Human Rights-Political Prisoners

Personal information

Sex: Male
Date of birth: 22 May 1986
Area of activity: Blogger , Human rights activist
Place of residence: Qatif

Fadhel al-Manasef is a Saudi writer and human rights activist from the Eastern Province. He took part in gatherings in 2011 raising concerns about the treatment of members of the Shia community, including the arrests of protesters. Al-Manasef was also a founding member of the Adala Centre for Human Rights, an NGO that the Saudi authorities refused to license.

Arrest and jail information

Prison: Al-Mabaheth (General Investigations Directorate), Dammam
Date of arrest: 2 October 2011
Manner of arrest: Arrested after he intervened with the police over the arrest of the fathers of two protesters in Al Awamiya, and taken next day to the Mabaheth (General Investigations Directorate) in Dammam

Trial information

Charges: Hooliganism; inciting public opinion; damage to public and state property; disobeying the country’s ruler; resisting arrest
Court: Specialised Criminal Court (SCC)
Verdict: 14-year prison term, 14-year travel ban and a fine of 100,000 Saudi riyals
Date of verdict: 17 April 2014

Violations

Arbitrary arrest/ detention ,
Denied contact with family ,
Denied access to a lawyer ,
Torture and ill-treatment

Violation details

Torture and ill-treatment, both physical and psychological; placed in solitary confinement;

Timeline

4 May 2025 - He was released following the expiry of his sentence.
17 September 2014 - The Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) in Riyadh sentenced him to a 14-year prison term, 14-year travel ban and a fine of 100,000 Saudi riyals.
2 October 2011-August 2012 - Al-Manasef was initially held incommunicado in the Mabaheith prison in Dammam, and for over 300 days he was denied family visits.
2 October 2011 - Arrested after he intervened with the police over the arrest of the fathers of two protesters in Al Awamiya, and taken next day to the Mabaheth (General Investigations Directorate) in Dammam.