Abdulrahman al-Dowaish, son of the missing preacher Sulaiman al-Dowaish, has been sentenced to two years in prison for enquiring about the fate of his father. On 3 February 2022 the Court of Appeal upheld the sentence, which was originally handed down, unannounced, by the Criminal Court on 9 December 2021.
As ALQST has previously reported, Abdulrahman was arrested after sending a text message to Badr al-Asaker, director of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s private office, to ask for information about his father Sulaiman, who has been forcibly disappeared by the authorities since 2016. Abdurrahman was arrested on 18 October 2021 and forcibly disappeared. His trial, on charges under the Anti-Cybercrime Law, began on 5 November behind closed doors, without his family present. On 28 November he was transferred to Malaz Prison in Riyadh, following two weeks in intensive care after time spent in solitary confinement.
ALQST condemns the sentence imposed on Abdulrahman al-Dowaish and calls for his unconditional release. It also urges the Saudi authorities to reveal the fate and whereabouts of Sulaiman al-Dowaish, and to release both Sulaiman and his other son, Abdulwahhab al-Dowaish, who has been held in detention since 14 August 2021.
