On 27 April 2007 Walid Lamri, 24, a student residing in Jeddah, was arrested at his family home at 9pm by the Saudi intelligence services. His family was able to learn, however uncertain, that he is currently being and detained at the intelligence services headquarters in Taif.

Walid Lamri is a human rights activist and a member of Alkarama. He was returning from a regional business, during which he met with families of victims of arbitrary detention. The families he visited provided him with information on their relatives' arbitrary arrest and torture as well as their detention conditions. This information was intended to be communicated to various UN human rights mechanisms.

Mr Walid Lamri's arrest is undoubtedly intended to punish him for these peaceful activities, as the authorities are unwilling to offer any leeway for activities relating to human rights. Other Alkarama members and activists were arrested last year in Saudi Arabia.

Alkarama for Human Rights requests the Special Representative of the Secretary General on the situation of human rights defenders to take urgent action with the Saudi Arabian authorities to demand Walid Lamri's immediate release and put an end to the persecution he has suffered as a human rights defender.