Personal information
- Sex: Male
- Marital status: Married
- Date of birth: 1956
- Area of activity: Cleric
- Place of residence: Riyadh
An iconic religious reformer and one of Saudi Arabia’s leading proponents of political reform and human rights. His detention followed a sharp exchange of words in which Dr al-Odah argued that he was being arrested illegally, and security officers made clear that the reason for his arrest was a Twitter post in which he had welcomed a phone conversation between the Emir of Qatar and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia as a step towards resolving the current Gulf crisis. In it he said: “Praise the Lord… O God, soften their hearts toward each other for the good of their peoples.”
Arrest and jail information
- Prison: Al-Ha’ir Prison, Riyadh
- Date of arrest: 09 September 2017
- Manner of arrest: State Security officers took him from his home to Dhahban Central Prison, Jeddah
Trial information
- Charges: 37 counts including turning society against the country’s rulers; seeking to corrupt society; having links with individuals and organisations belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood; not praying enough for the country’s rulers; calling for change in the Saudi government; attempting to incite revolution
- Court: Specialised Criminal Court (SCC)
Violations
- Arbitrary arrest/ detention ,
- Denied contact with family ,
- Denied access to a lawyer ,
- Observers denied access to court hearings ,
- Denied access to healthcare
Violation details
Al-Odah's health has sharply declined in prison, including the loss of almost half of his ability to hear and see. He has experienced severe ill-treatment in prison since his arbitrary arrest in September 2017, including being denied medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol.Timeline
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06 July 2021 - He attended his latest trial session in the Specialised Criminal Court. Despite his family being told that a further hearing would take place, nothing has yet been scheduled and the trial remains pending. -
14 March 2021 - A closed hearing is held at the Specialised Criminal Court in his trial, lasting only seconds, with the next hearing scheduled for July.
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2019-2020 - Dozens of trial sessions took place, a majority of which were postponed for unknown reasons.
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End of 2019 - He was transferred from Dhahban prison, Jeddah to Al-Ha’ir Prison in Riyadh. -
4 September 2018 - His trial began, with the Public Prosecutor calling for the death penalty.
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09 September 2017 - He was arrested after he posted on Twitter a prayer for the “softening of hearts” of Qatar and Saudi Arabia’s rulers during a political standoff.
