Al-Ha'ir Prison
Encyclopedia
Al-Ha'ir Prison is a Saudi Arabia
n maximum-security prison facility located approximately 25 miles south of Riyadh
. Saudi Arabia's largest prison, the complex includes facilities for both common criminals and security offenders, and reportedly houses a number of al-Qaeda
figures.
In September 2003 there was a major fire at al-Ha'ir in which sixty-seven inmates died and at least twenty were injured.
Famous inmates have included:
and espionage
(and subsequently released on royal pardon) were given permission by the Court of Appeal of England and Wales
to sue for redress for wrongful conviction and torture. Named in the suit were:
In 2006 this judgement was overturned by the Law Lords, and the plaintiffs have appealed to the European Court of Human Rights
.
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n maximum-security prison facility located approximately 25 miles south of Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
. Saudi Arabia's largest prison, the complex includes facilities for both common criminals and security offenders, and reportedly houses a number of al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
figures.
In September 2003 there was a major fire at al-Ha'ir in which sixty-seven inmates died and at least twenty were injured.
Famous inmates have included:
- William SampsonWilliam Sampson (author)William Sampson, born , is a dual British and Canadian national who was arrested in Saudi Arabia on December 17, 2000 on a variety of charges including terrorism, espionage and murder...
, a British-Canadian man tortured and kept in solitary confinement for 31 months, and Sandy MitchellSandy MitchellSandy Mitchell was one of seven men incarcerated in Saudi Arabia for the bombing death of Christopher Rodway, a British National living in Riyadh. While in prison, he was tortured and forced to make a televised confession in which he detailed the methods and as to which he and his fellow prisoners...
, one of Sampson's co-accused - Mohammad Al-Harbi, a Saudi high-school teacher who was accused of mocking religion and sentenced to three years' imprisonment and 750 lashes
- Hani al-SayeghHani al-SayeghA Saudi citizen, Hani Abdel Rahim Hussein al-Sayegh was an alleged member of Hezbollah Al-Hejaz and accused of involvement in the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing...
, a Saudi controversially accused of complicity in the Khobar towers bombingKhobar Towers bombingThe Khobar Towers bombing was a terrorist attack on part of a housing complex in the city of Khobar, Saudi Arabia, located near the national oil company headquarters of Dhahran. In 1996, Khobar Towers was being used to house foreign military personnel.Al-Qaeda has incorrectly been described by...
.
Lawsuit
In October 2004, former detainees William Sampson, Sandy Mitchell and Les Walker, part of a group of nine foreign nationals convicted of bombing, terrorismTerrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
and espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
(and subsequently released on royal pardon) were given permission by the Court of Appeal of England and Wales
Court of Appeal of England and Wales
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom above it...
to sue for redress for wrongful conviction and torture. Named in the suit were:
- Prince Naif, Minister of Interior
- Mohammed Said, governor of al-Ha'ir Prison
- Ibrahim al-Dali, officer of the Mabaheth (the Saudi Arabian general intelligence service)
- Khaled al-Saleh, officer of the Mabaheth
In 2006 this judgement was overturned by the Law Lords, and the plaintiffs have appealed to the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
.