Mohamed Al Bjady was on arrested 21 March 2011, also because of his reformist opinions. He is a founding member of the Saudi Association for Civil and Political Rights (ACPRA), which supports in the courts and through other judicial channels, the families of people detained arbitrarily. He was arrested the day after having participated in a peaceful demonstration in front of the ministry of the interior in Riyadh in support of the families of political prisoners who were calling for the release of their relatives.

Alkarama submitted urgent appeals following their arrests to the relevant United Nations bodies asking them to intervene with the Saudi authorities to secure their release.

All of the questions that they both faced during their interrogations related to their legal activities and their dealings with Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), which clearly shows the Saudi regime's irritation at the actions of these human rights defenders and by their calls for freedom and political reforms. Saudi Arabia continues to ignore human rights organisations and the UN bodies who are calling on it to increase political freedoms, and is trying instead to silence the internal opposition using fear, intimidation, arbitrary arrests and harsh and unfair sentences on such a large scale that arbitrary detention has reached the proportions of a plague in the Kingdom with the number of detainees exceeding forty thousand, according to some local human rights activists.

Here is the text of the letter:

In the name of God the merciful

His Majesty King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz

Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz

The Interior Minister, Prince Ahmad Bin Abdulaziz

There is no doubt that supporting the oppressed is the duty of every Muslim, and of every decent human being. One of the prophet's hadith's says: "Support your brother whether he be oppressor or oppressed, and a man said to him: Oh Prophet, I will support him if he is oppressed but how can I support him when he is an oppressor, and the prophet said: you support him by preventing him from being unjust and oppressing others".

It is a great travesty to arrest people when they stand with the oppressed by using fabricated charges, and through secret courts that do not meet the required standards of justice. God said in his holy book "God orders you to return what is entrusted to you to their rightful owners, and if you had to adjudicate between people, then do so justly, and God is forever watchful over you".

Where is the justice in the sentence of Mr Al Omeir to eight years in jail for a peaceful protest which did not even take place against the Israeli shelling of Gaza in the year 1430th of Hijrah. Where is the justice in sentencing Mr Al Bjady to four years in jail for the charge of participating in a peaceful protest. Where is the justice in all of this taking place in secret courts which do not meet the minimum standards of justice.

Based on this we are asking for the release of:

1. Mr Al Bjady

2. Mr Al Omeir

We are asking for their unconditional release in particular, and for the unconditional release of all men and women that are unfairly detained. We are calling for the cancellation of all sentences against them because they have no legal or Sharia basis. These sentences and these arrests are evidence before international institutions that the Saudi authorities are committing crimes against their citizens, which may subject members of the authorities to future charges.

We conclude by calling for their unconditional release in this holy month of Ramadan in which prayers are answered, particularly the prayers of oppressed fathers, mothers, wives and children of the detained. We ask God to guide us all to establish justice, support the oppressed and avoid injustice. May the peace of God, his mercy and blessings be with you.

Signatures:

1. Fahd abdel Aziz al-Arini al-Subaii

2. Mohammad Abdullah al-Utaibi

3. Dr Abdullah Mohammad al-Noami

4. Fahd Mohammad Said al-Zaharani

5. Ahmad Amer al-Sonosi

6. Yasser Mohammad al-Kafari

7. Ahmad Said al-Zaharani

8. Ahmad Said al-Maliki

9. Sultan Hasan al-Ajami

10. Khaled abdel Rahman al-Kasim al-Sherif

11. Fahd abdel Mohsen al-Hanini

12. Abdel Rahman Suleiman al-Harbi

13. Abdullah Suleiman Abdullah al-Kunaibet

14. Abdel Hafez Hamid al-Harbi

15. Furaiha Suleiman al-Mariami

16. Abdullah Fayez al-Utaibi

17. Mohammad bin Nayef al-Shumri

18. Abdel Karim bin Abdel Rahman al-Hamad al-Tuwaijeri

19. Ahmad Musa al-Kahtani

20. Mohammad Dumeikhan al-Subaii

21. Abdel Rahman Suleiman al-Harbi

22. Abdullah Fayez al-Utaibi

23. Salem bin Sadah al-Harbi

24. Mansour Saleh Suleiman al-Rushudi

25. Saoud Ahmad al-Dughaither

26. Sami Ouaid al-Utaibi

27. Uhud Ibrahim al-Fadli