Saudi Arabia Summons Human Rights Activist for Interrogation · Global Voices
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This post is part of our Special Coverage: Reformists on Trial in Saudi Arabia
Omar Al-Saeed, a member in the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA), has been summoned for interrogation on April 22 and asked to re-appear next week.
Al-Saeed went to the Investigation and Prosecution Bureau in Qassim with his brother, Abdullah Al-Saeed, who is also an ACPRA member. There, Omar and Abdullah met with interrogator Ahmad Al-Thekri.
The expected interrogation session didn't take place. Instead, Al-Saeed was asked to come again the following week. He asked for more time to find a lawyer to attend with him, but the interrogator insisted he attends next week.
Shortly after tweeting what went on in the bureau, a Kuwaiti attorney, Bader Al-Harbi, mentioned Omar Al-Saeed on Twitter, offering his services:
@bhd1973: @181Umar
مستعد استاذ وبالخدمة
@bhd1973: @181Umar ready and at your service
While Al-Saeed was in the Investigation and Prosecution Bureau, Saudis started the hash-tag #عمر_السعيد which translates to Omar Al-Saeed, in solidarity with him.
Abdullah Al-Mogbel tweeted:
@asmogbelt: تجريم نشطاء الحقوق ومن يمتهنون العمل السلمي ينذر بكارثة خطيرة عندما يصادق القضاة على كليشة المدعي العام الفتنة والتأليب.الخ #حسم #عمر_السعيد
@asmogbelt: The criminalization of peaceful activists and rights defenders is a warning of a dangerous disaster since judges are endorsing the clichés of the General Prosecutor such as: inciting disorder, etc.
Turki tweeted:
@SAUDI_LIBERAL: أخبروا محمد بن نايف بأن سجونه ستمتلئ ولن يجد مكاناً للكم الهائل من المطالبين بالحرية والعدالة والحقوق لأن الشعب مل ببساطة
#عمر_السعيد #حسم
@SAUDI_LIBERAL: Tell Mohammad bin Naif [the Interior Minister] that his prisons will be full and he won't find a place for the large number of people demanding freedom, justice and rights because people have simply had enough.
The summoning of Omar Al-Saeed comes as a continuation of the Ministry of Interior's actions against ACPRA, the most prominent rights association in Saudi Arabia.
Before Al-Saeed, five of ACPRA members were jailed: Abdullah Al-Hamed, Mohammad Al-Qahtani, Sulaiman Al-Rushoodi, Saleh Al-Ashwan and Mohammad Al-Bjadi. Another member, Abdulkarim Al-Khader has just been detained for objecting to the judge's decision to bar women from attending his trial.
This post is part of our Special Coverage: Reformists on Trial in Saudi Arabia