On 23 April 2016, Sheikh Abu Omar and Abu Yusuf Abdulaziz bin Marzouq Abdulaziz Al Tarifi, a Saudi Arabian Islamic scholar, was arrested from his house by members of the security forces, because of tweets he had posted criticising the King. In the context of an ongoing campaign of arrests, recent days have also witnessed the arrests of Mohamed Al Hodaif, writer and journalist, and Islamic scholar Suleiman Al Duweish for critical comments voiced on social media.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is being reviewed by the United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) during the Committee's 57th session in Geneva, which assesses the country's compliance with its obligations under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT). On 21 April 2016, Alkarama met with the UN Committee's experts to brief them on its key concerns previously raised in its extensive report submitted to the CAT ahead of Saudi Arabia's review.

Today, 25 April 2016, during the second part of the country's review, Alkarama will inform the Committee's experts of the recent arrests and sentencing of ACPRA President Issa Al Hamid and raise its concerns over the continued crackdown of Saudi civil society. Alkarama will urge the Committee to recommend to the Saudi authorities to put an end to the systematic judicial harassment and reprisal against human rights defenders and members of civil society peacefully making use of their fundamental right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.

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