Mr Helal and his two colleagues were arrested from their respective homes in Jeddah on 16 October 2009 by Saudi authorities. The arrests took place without the three men being shown an arrest warrant or given a reason for their arrests. Saudi authorities also carried out a search of their homes, without a judicial warrant, and confiscated various personal items including computers, mobile phones and books. They were then taken to Zahban prison where they were detained without charge or trial.

Mr Helal remained in Zahban prison for 2 years and 5 months until his release on 31 March 2012 without a trial. During this time, Mr Helal reports that he suffered torture and ill-treatment.

Alkarama submitted a communication to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Special Rapporteur on Torture on 27 January 2011, informing them of the unlawful detention and mistreatment of Mr Helal, Mr Qadoma and Mr Ali and asking for the United Nations to intervene on their behalf. Updated information repeating the request for the release of Mr Qadoma and Mr Ali was sent on 11 April 2012, following Mr Helal's release.

While Alkarama is pleased to learn of Mr Ahmed Helal's long-awaited released, it remains concerned that Mr Helal was unlawfully detained for two years and that his companions, Mr Qadoma and Mr Ali remain detained arbitrarily, along with thousands of others in Saudi Arabia.