Ahmed al-Doush was on holiday with his family from Manchester when he was detained over a tweet he posted to his 41 followers eight years ago. He has been told he will serve eight years
The family of a dad-of-four says he is in a ‘living hell’ after being jailed in Saudi Arabia for a tweet he posted eight years ago, and say he is on the brink of a hunger strike.
Ahmed al-Doush was detained while on holiday in the country a year ago yesterday, and has been locked up ever since. The 42-year-old banking business analyst of Sudanese heritage, was sentenced to 10 years back in May after being held for nine months in al-Hair Prison in the capital Riyadh. It has since been reduced to eight years.
Amnesty International UK is now calling on the UK government to urgently do more to assist Mr al-Doush and his family, from Manchester. He was in custody when his fourth child, who he has never met, was born. His wife, pregnant at the time of his arrest, was allowed to return to the UK.
READ MORE: Terrifying moment lost child walks along monorail track at HersheyparkREAD MORE: Oliver Pugh missing: Spain police give update on search for ‘abducted’ Brit boy, 3
Amnesty says he has been convicted of charges under Saudi Arabia’s terrorism legislation for social media posts about Egypt, Sudan and Gaza, “indicating that his conviction is based on a British national’s exercise of the right to free expression.” The organisation says as yet access to any court documents, the judgment or information about the exact social media posts continues to be prevented, leaving the precise details of Ahmed’s conviction unclear.
They said Mr al-Doush Ahmed has faced extensive interrogation without a lawyer present, before being informed of the charges against him. His family’s contact with him has been severely restricted and he has faced repeated ‘punishment’ for attempting to communicate about his case and conditions.
Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International’s UK Chief Executive, said: “For one whole year, Ahmed al-Doush has been trapped in a living hell – abducted and separated from his young family and detained in Saudi Arabia. UK officials should be doing everything they can to secure Ahmed’s release, but instead very little action is being taken.
“The UK government’s failure to advocate for Ahmed and help him return to his family is extremely worrying. It is vital that everything possible is done to urge the Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ahmed if he is detained solely for exercising his human rights.”
His wife Amaher Nour said: “This past year without Ahmed has been unbearable for me and our children. The emotional and physical strain has been overwhelming. Just yesterday, our daughter — who has been unwell with a fever and chickenpox — burst into tears saying she wanted her father.
“Tomorrow is her birthday, and when I asked what gift she wanted, she said simply: ‘I want Daddy.’ No words can express the heartbreak of raising four children alone while their father is unjustly imprisoned. Our children have never adjusted to his absence, and every day is filled with pain and longing.
“My greatest fear now is for Ahmed’s health and wellbeing, especially in light of his hunger strike. We are terrified for him and desperate for his safe return.”
Mr al-Doush’s lawyer Haydee Dijksta; said: “Despite Ahmed Al-Doush’s case being one whereby a British national has been convicted abroad in Saudi Arabia on terrorism charges after an unfair trial and despite him being issued a lengthy prison sentence for exercising his right to free expression through social media posts, the family continue to plead for the Government to act with urgency.
“Repeated calls for his case to be escalated to the highest levels to seek an expedient resolution to the arbitrary detention of a British national which brings him home have been dismissed as unnecessary. Yet, a year on, Ahmed remains in detention and increasingly vulnerable.
“Now, urgent action by the UK government is critically required given recent information indicating that the conditions of his detention, which have left him isolated and have significantly impacted his wellbeing, are abusive and risk subjecting him to significant harm.”
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Develpment office spokesperson said: “We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudia Arabia and are in contact with his family and the local authorities.”