Human Rights Lawyer Waleed Abu Al-Khair Sentenced To 15 Years in Jail

Waleed Abu al-Khair Unafraid to Continue His Human Rights Work

Prominent human rights activist and lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair was sentenced to a 15-year prison and travel ban for his undertakings in human rights-related works in Saudi Arabia.

The lawyer is currently detained in nowal-Ha’ir prison. Mr. Waleed Abu al-Khair is among the rights activists who were all sentenced in 2013 to long prison terms for charges of disrespecting the authorities and inciting international organisations against the country.

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Waleed Abulkhair in November 2012.

Waleed Abu al-Khair is the head of an independent human rights organization founded in 2008 called the Saudi Arabia Monitor of Human Rights. The lawyer has been facing persecution from the Saudi Arabian authorities and has been banned from traveling since March 2012.

According to media reports, the rights activist was given the option to stop his activism and apologize or suffer the consequences if he continued to do his human rights work.

US ‘Troubled’ By The Sentencing Of Waleed Abu al-Khair

In a press statement in Washington DC, US Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said the United States is troubled by the 15-year prison sentence, travel ban, and steep fine handed down to human rights lawyer and activist Waleed Abu al-Khair.

She said Mr. al-Khair’s situation is discussed in the recent Human Rights Report on Saudi Arabia.

“We urge the Saudi government to respect international human rights norms, a point we make to them regularly.” – Ms. Psaki

According to Freedom House, Saudi Arabia is ranked Not Free, demonstrating an absence of political rights and a systematic denial of basic civil liberties.

Mina Fabulous follows the news, especially what is going on in the US State Department. Mina turns State Department waffle into plain English. Mina Fabulous is the pen name of Carmen Avalino, the NewsBlaze production editor. When she isn’t preparing stories for NewsBlaze writers, she writes stories, but to separate her editing and writing identities, she uses the name given by her family and friends.