Saudi Prisoners’ Children Put Into Solitary Confinement · Global Voices
Anas Soliman

Following the cancellation of Saudi prisoners’ Eid visits, their relatives organized small gatherings to protest the sudden decision. Gatherings are strictly prohibited in the absolute kingdom, but the ban has been continuously defied by the prisoners’ relatives, and most of the women and children who participated in the gatherings have been arrested since October 17. The children were even ordered to be in solitary confinement.
One of the arrested children, Humam al-Rushodi, whose father is a prisoner. via @e3teqal
The one woman who was released because of her child's health condition tweeted about their arrest in front of the Governor's Office [ar]:
قالوا انتظروا انتظرنا قليل ثم ادخلوا الباصات وهجمت قوات المهمات الخاصة من جهه والسجانات من جهه وكاننا نريد ان نقتل اميرهم..يتبع4
— ام عبدالله الحربي (@vvbbvnn) October 20, 2013
They told us: “Wait,” so we did. Then they brought buses and the special forces attacked us from one side and the female prison guards from the other like if we were about to murder their prince.
Umm Abdulla Al Harbi also reported that one of the prisoners’ relatives, Maha al-Duhayan, was beaten and had her hand broken:
وكتم أنفاسي حتى لا أتكلم وقاموا بضرب الاخت مها الضحيان ضرباً مبرحا حتى انهم حين اركبوها دفعوها فسقطت على وجهها..يتبع6
— ام عبدالله الحربي (@vvbbvnn) October 20, 2013
…They shut my mouth so that I don't speak and they hit Maha al-Duhayan very hard and they even pushed her and she fell on her face…
This launched a very large condemnation within the Saudi Twittersphere against the Interior Ministry's aggression. The women, including al-Duhayan, were denied calls, visits and access to lawyers. Her son tweeted:
#كسر_يد_مها_الضحيان منذ يومين وانا تحت الشمس عند الابواب المفتوحة ولم استطع الحصول علي اي شيء حتى الاتصال وعدني مسؤل الهيأة واخلف وعده!!!
— م.صالح العياف (@x1199y) October 19, 2013
I have been under the sun during the past two days trying to get into the open doors, but I got no where. An official from the Bureau [of Investigation and Public Prosecution] promised me a call, but he didn't fulfill his promise.
On October 20, a group of women and young men organized a sit-in in front of the Buraydah Police Administration to demand the release of their relatives. They, too, were shortly surrounded by police forces and arrested.
عاجل قوت الطوارئ تطوق المعتصمين أمام مديرية الشرطة و تعتدي بالضرب على الحضور من النساء و الشباب #السعودية
— اعتقال (@e3teqal) October 20, 2013
Just in: Emergency forces surround those taking part in the sit-in in front of the Police Administration and beat the participants – women and young men.
Among those who were arrested were two of Mrs. al-Duhayan's sons, Yasser and Rayan.
لتو خرجت من المباحث العامة للاستفسار حول قضية الوالده واتفجأت بإتصال من اخي ريان يخبرني بأنه أعتقل هو واخي ياسر #كسر_يد_مها_الضحيان
— م.صالح العياف (@x1199y) October 20, 2013
I just got out from the General Investigation Bureau to inquire about my mother's case. I was shocked to receive a call from my brother, Rayan, saying that he was arrested with my brother Yasser.
The detained women and men are still prohibited from contacting the outside world. The under-age detained relatives were given a visit, but the prison officials told [ar] a family member yesterday, October 22, that they had orders from Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution to hold each child in solitary confinement for the next five days.