Alkarama had submitted Abu Haikal's case to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on 1 November 2010, and these latest updates were communicated to them today, calling on them to further question the Saudi authorities about this case and to adopt an opinion stating that Abu Haikal's detention is illegal.

Bilal Abu Haikal's family was last able to visit him in February 2011 and learned, at this time, that he had been sentenced to 2 years in prison. In early February 2011, Mr Abu Haikal had been brought before a judge, without being allowed the presence of a lawyer, and was immediately sentenced. His sentence should have ended on 28 June 2011, but he remains detained today, 2 months after then end of his sentence.

The family requested a copy of the sentence, but were told by the authorities not to make such requests and that asking about such things would only worsen the fate of their son. The unwillingness of the Saudi authorities to provide a copy of the sentence, which would cite the articles of the law he was accused of breaking, to Mr Abu Haikal's family proves without doubt that they could not invoke any legal basis for his detention.

Alkarama calls on the Saudi Authorities to immediately release Mr Abu Haikal and offer him