Dr Said b. Zair, aged 58, a professor of information sciences at the University of Ridadh, is a well-known figure in the country for the public positions he adopts in favour of the need for institutional reforms in the country, as well as his support to the 'reform movement'.

He was imprisoned several times without a sentence and without legal proceedings. He was notably detained incommunicado and in inhumane conditions of detention for eight consecutive years from 5 March 1995 to 24 March 2003, during which he was not able to have access to a lawyer, nor receive family visits.

A year after his release, he was again arrested after having given an interview to the Arab television channel Al  Jazeera on 20 April 2004 until 8 August 2005.

He has therefore once again been detained in secret for over 18 months for political reasons. His family who have not had any news of him are very worried, the authorities refusing to communicate any information on his fate.

These long incommunicado detentions have serious consequences on his physical health, and Dr Said b. Zair already suffered from chronic illness since before his last arrest; his family having learned that he appears to have started a new hunger strike, without being able to obtain any confirmation or news of his current state of health, is particularly anxious.

Dr Ben Zair's incommunicado detention, lasting more than a year and a half today, constitutes in itself an act of torture for him and all the members of his family.

We recall that Saudi Arabia ratified the Convention against Torture. It is a member of the Human Rights Council (2006-2009).