The Geneva Council for Rights and Liberties (GCRL) submits an urgent appeal to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on the imminent risk of extradition of Dr. Osama al-Hassani to the Saudi authorities after he was arrested in Tangiers, Morocco. The decision to deport him to the Kingdom was based on the Riyadh Arab Agreement for Judicial Cooperation signed by the two countries.
The letter from the Geneva Council to Mrs. Lee Tommy (Chairperson – Rapporteur) of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention focused on the risk of torture and ill-treatment faced by the dual national (Australian-Saudi) Mr. Osama Al-Hasani, 42 years old if he is extradited to the Saudi authorities, which would constitute a serious violation of the principle of non-refoulment. (Forcible return of individuals to a country where they would be exposed to a serious threat of violation of their human rights).
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is known for its poor human rights record in the field of violating basic human rights, as the authorities systematically use arbitrary arrests against activists and human rights defenders as a means of suppressing political opposition in the country, restricting freedoms, and creating a general climate of fear among the population for politically motivated reasons. The letter also highlighted the Saudi authorities’ ongoing attempt to liquidate dissent through persecution and organized political repression that amounts to state terrorism.
Such practices violate the freedom of opinion and expression of Saudi citizens, and many detainees face retaliatory sentences that amount to execution, in addition to the risk of being subjected to torture during the period of detention.
:full letter
