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Home » Iraq » Press Releases » KSA - News » Saudi Arabia: Arbitrary detention of Tallal Al Majed for nearly 6 years
Alkarama had sent an urgent communication to the Working Group on May 8, 2006, another one to the Special Rapporteur on Torture on November 17, 2006 and a third to the High Commissioner for Human Rights on March 5, 2007.
Dr. Tallal Nedjm Abdullah AL MAJED, a Saudi national, was born on June 02, 1975 in Kuwait, where he lives with his parents in the region of Ad Dahr. He is a merchant. His identity documents were confiscated and are in possession of Saudi authorities.
He was abducted in Doha (Qatar) by civilian dressed persons on 20 June 2002 at 07 h00 in the morning, at the hotel where he lived. No mandate had not been presented to him and no reason for his arrest had not been put forward. He was beaten, then tied up and blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination without any explanation.
A few hours later, he realised that he was in an airplane. Upon his arrival at the airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he has been subjected to ill-treatment, was tortured and placed in secret detention. He was interrogated about his exact identity and why he lived in Kuwait. He then explained that he was born there and that his mother was Kuwaiti. No specific act was blamed on him.
He was transferred to the prison of Al Hayr (Riyadh) and has never been authorized to solicit any action or proceeding. When he asked to be brought before a judge, he was told "that no charge was pending against him and that therefore, he could not be brought to justice"! When he requested the assistance of a lawyer, he was also told that it was impossible for the same reasons and all his requests remained unanswered.
It was only after several months of detention and isolation that he could be visited by his parents who knew nothing about his arrest and his transfer to a prison in Saudi Arabia. Only after lengthy procedures that the Qatar Embassy in Kuwait had acknowledged he was in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
When his mother visited him during the month of August 2006, she learned that his detention conditions had worsened, that he was kept in complete isolation, and more importantly that he had been violently beaten with sticks, punched and kicked on all parts of his body. He informed his mother that he had undergone this treatment several times and each time he asked to be presented before a judge. He also informed her that he was deprived of the most basic care in spite of the various chronic diseases he suffers from (asthma, depression and sciatica).
Because of this unchanged situation, M. Al Majed started a hunger strike on 1 March 2007 to affirm his right to know the legal grounds for his detention and be brought before a magistrate to be tried or released if no charges were made against him. He remains to this day arbitrarily detained.
In relation to this case, Alkarama has also appealed to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to inform it of the arrest and detention of Majed Al Faisal, younger brother of Tallal, certainly because of his actions in relation to the detention of Tallal. (See Alkarama's Press release)
Dr. Tallal Nedjm Abdullah AL MAJED, a Saudi national, was born on June 02, 1975 in Kuwait, where he lives with his parents in the region of Ad Dahr. He is a merchant. His identity documents were confiscated and are in possession of Saudi authorities.
He was abducted in Doha (Qatar) by civilian dressed persons on 20 June 2002 at 07 h00 in the morning, at the hotel where he lived. No mandate had not been presented to him and no reason for his arrest had not been put forward. He was beaten, then tied up and blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination without any explanation.
A few hours later, he realised that he was in an airplane. Upon his arrival at the airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he has been subjected to ill-treatment, was tortured and placed in secret detention. He was interrogated about his exact identity and why he lived in Kuwait. He then explained that he was born there and that his mother was Kuwaiti. No specific act was blamed on him.
He was transferred to the prison of Al Hayr (Riyadh) and has never been authorized to solicit any action or proceeding. When he asked to be brought before a judge, he was told "that no charge was pending against him and that therefore, he could not be brought to justice"! When he requested the assistance of a lawyer, he was also told that it was impossible for the same reasons and all his requests remained unanswered.
It was only after several months of detention and isolation that he could be visited by his parents who knew nothing about his arrest and his transfer to a prison in Saudi Arabia. Only after lengthy procedures that the Qatar Embassy in Kuwait had acknowledged he was in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
When his mother visited him during the month of August 2006, she learned that his detention conditions had worsened, that he was kept in complete isolation, and more importantly that he had been violently beaten with sticks, punched and kicked on all parts of his body. He informed his mother that he had undergone this treatment several times and each time he asked to be presented before a judge. He also informed her that he was deprived of the most basic care in spite of the various chronic diseases he suffers from (asthma, depression and sciatica).
Because of this unchanged situation, M. Al Majed started a hunger strike on 1 March 2007 to affirm his right to know the legal grounds for his detention and be brought before a magistrate to be tried or released if no charges were made against him. He remains to this day arbitrarily detained.
In relation to this case, Alkarama has also appealed to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to inform it of the arrest and detention of Majed Al Faisal, younger brother of Tallal, certainly because of his actions in relation to the detention of Tallal. (See Alkarama's Press release)