Dr. Matrouk b. Hais b. Khalif Al-Faleh was born in Sekaka on May 17, 1953. He is a Professor of International Relations at the University of King Saud in Riyadh (Institute of Political Science) and a leading figure of the movement of "reformers" which calls, by peaceful means, for political reform in the Kingdom. He is the author of numerous books published in the Arab world.

He was arrested on May 19, 2008 by the intelligence services (Al Mabahit) and is being held in the prison of Al Hayr near Riyadh. He has had no contact with the outside world, the authorities refusing to his wife every right to visit.

The arrest occurred as a result of a communiqué that had just been published which  denounced prison conditions in the prison of Al Burayda where detainees Dr Abdallah Al-Hamed and his brother Aissa have been detained since 8 March 2008.

Mr. Abdallah Al-Hamed and his brother Aissa are serving sentences of six and four months' imprisonment respectively on charges of having incited women to demonstrate to defend their rights.

Dr Matrouk al-Faleh was previously arrested on 16 March  2004 along with 11 other signatories of a petition for the promulgation of a constitution and the introduction of political reforms in the country in order to "guarantee" unity, stability and strength of the Kingdom ".

This petition which was of a peaceful and fundamentally political nature was interpreted by the authorities as a "justification of terrorism" and "a glorification of violence" and Dr. Matrouk al-Faleh and two other signatories, M. Ali Al-Damini and Dr. Al-Hamed were sentenced to five years' imprisonment.

This led to Alkarama for Human Rights submitting a complaint on 8 July 2004 to bhe Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.. By Opinion No. 25/2004, made on 26 November 2004 the Working Group declared their arbitrary deprivation of liberty. They were released after 17 months of detention in favour of a royal pardon.

There is no doubt that this new arrest of Dr Matrouk al-Faleh is also motivated exclusively by his exercising the right to freely and peacefully express his political views and to denounce abuses and violations of human rights in his country.

His deprivation of liberty without due process of law and for this reason alone constitutes a violation by Saudi Arabia, both on its own internal and the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has not ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It is a member of the UN Human Rights Council.