`Ulaysha Prison
Encyclopedia
`Ulaysha Prison is a prison in Riyadh
run by the Saudi Arabia
n secret police
agency Mabahith
for arbitrary detention
. During the 2011 Saudi Arabian protests
, "the only brave man in Saudi Arabia", Khaled al-Johani
, was held in `Ulaysha Prison and it is suspected that several founding members of the Umma Islamic Party
are being held there.
stated that at least five people, mostly academics, had been held incommunicado for two days in `Ulaysha Prison because they had criticised a governmental body, the National Commission for Human Rights, and they had planned to create their own human rights organisation.
complained to Saudi Arabian authorities in 2007 about the arbitrary arrest and detention
of Faiz bin Abdelmohsen Al Qaid, who had been held in `Ulaysha Prison since 12 October 2005 because he had given information to the Arab Commission for Human Rights
and other organisations about human rights in Saudi Arabia
and Saudi Arabian prisons. The following year, the Working Group complained to Saudi authorities about the arbitrary arrest and detention of Abdel Rahman Samara, a Palestinian
, who was held in `Ulaysha Prison for five and a half months before being transferred to al-Ha'ir Prison
. The Working Group said that holding Samara "incommunicado, without access to a lawyer and without being brought to justice" constituted a violation of Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
.
Bahraini citizen Khalil `Abdul Rahman `Abdul Karim al-Janahi
was held in `Ulaysha Prison for at least 4 months for an unknown reason, starting 26 April 2007, without access to lawyers and without a trial. In November 2008 he was transferred from the Saudi prison system to the United Arab Emirates
, where he was detained without charge or trial until 11 June 2009, shortly after an Amnesty International appeal for his release. For the first four months in `Ulaysha Prison, Janahi was held in solitary confinement, handcuffed, in a one square metre cell, and had no contact with his family.
Riyadh University professor Dr Bachr al-Bachr, described by the support group for uncharged prisoners Adala as "a peaceful advocate of political change who frequently publicly criticised his government and its policies", was detained on 15 March 2007 by Mabahith
secret police at his home. He was held at `Ulaysha Prison and torture
d. His family was first allowed access to him after nine months, at which time he stated that he "was being held in a refrigerated underground cell where he was permanently handcuffed and blindfolded."
, created in 2011, Dr. Ahmad bin Sa'd al-Ghamidi, Professor Sa'ud al-Dughaithir, Shaikh Abd al-`Aziz al-Wuhaibi, Shaikh Muhammad bin Husain al-Qahtani, Professor Muhammad bin Nasir al-Ghamidi, Walid al-Majid and Professor Abd al-Karim al-Khadhar, were detained on 17 February 2011. HRW stated that the five "appear to have been detained solely for trying to create a party whose professed aims included greater democracy and protection for human rights." Prior to his own arrest, al-Khadhar stated that his colleagues were apparently held in `Ulaysha Prison.
Khaled al-Johani
, who was detained on 11 March 2011 in Riyadh
, a would-be "Day of Rage" during the 2011 Saudi Arabian protests
, after talking about democracy, freedom
, freedom of speech
and justice
to BBC Arabic Television
reporters, has been held since then in `Ulaysha Prison. He was not allowed contact with his family for the first 58 days of his detention. While al-Johani remained under detention in `Ulaysha Prison, HRW described him as a "peaceful dissident" and Mohammad al-Qahtani of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association
said that al-Johani became known online
as "the only brave man in Saudi Arabia", because he appeared to be the only person who publicly protested in Saudi Arabia on 11 March, apart from several hundreds of protestors in Qatif
, Hofuf
and al-Awamiyah
.
i prisoner arrested in 2002 who stated that he was tortured every three to four days over his first 56 days of detention in the prison. He alleged that techniques used against him included being punched "in the face until blood burst out of [his] mouth", being beaten all over his body and "on the soles of the feet and legs while [his] legs were shackled", and "put under the air conditioner for a few hours". He was held at `Ulaysha for eight months, of which the first 56 days were in a two metre by one metre size cell. He was then transferred to al-Ha'ir Prison
.
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...
run by the Saudi Arabia
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 secret police
Secret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
agency Mabahith
Mabahith
The Mabahith , also spelled Mabaheth, is the secret police agency of the Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia.According to Human Rights Watch, the Mabahith "monitors suspected political opponents and others, targets individuals for arrest, and interrogates detainees...
for arbitrary detention
Arbitrary arrest and detention
Arbitrary arrest and arbitrary detention are the arrest or detention of an individual in a case in which there is no likelihood or evidence that they committed a crime against legal statute, or in which there has been no proper due process of law...
. During the 2011 Saudi Arabian protests
2011 Saudi Arabian protests
The 2011 Saudi Arabian protests have been influenced by the Arab Spring that started with the 2011 Tunisian revolution. One of the main online organisers of a planned 11 March "Day of Rage", Faisal Ahmed Abdul-Ahad , was alleged to have been killed by Saudi security forces on 2 March, by which time...
, "the only brave man in Saudi Arabia", Khaled al-Johani
Khaled al-Johani
Khaled al-Johani is a 40 year old teacher of religious instruction in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. , he is imprisoned without trial at `Ulaysha Prison for having publicly asked for freedoms and democracy in Saudi Arabia - an absolute monarchy - during the 2011 Saudi Arabian protests...
, was held in `Ulaysha Prison and it is suspected that several founding members of the Umma Islamic Party
Umma Islamic Party
The Umma Islamic Party is a political party in Saudi Arabia that was formed on February 10, 2011 in response to the 2010-2011 Middle East and North Africa protests. Formed by a collective of opposition members including Islamists and intellectuals, the party is pro-reform and demands representation...
are being held there.
Prisoners
On 17 March 2004, Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
stated that at least five people, mostly academics, had been held incommunicado for two days in `Ulaysha Prison because they had criticised a governmental body, the National Commission for Human Rights, and they had planned to create their own human rights organisation.
Prisoners held arbitrarily
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary DetentionWorking Group on Arbitrary Detention
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is a UN-mandated body of independent human rights experts that investigates cases of arbitrary arrest and detention that may be in violation of international human rights law....
complained to Saudi Arabian authorities in 2007 about the arbitrary arrest and detention
Arbitrary arrest and detention
Arbitrary arrest and arbitrary detention are the arrest or detention of an individual in a case in which there is no likelihood or evidence that they committed a crime against legal statute, or in which there has been no proper due process of law...
of Faiz bin Abdelmohsen Al Qaid, who had been held in `Ulaysha Prison since 12 October 2005 because he had given information to the Arab Commission for Human Rights
Arab Commission for Human Rights
The Arab Commission for Human Rights is an Arab world non-governmental human rights organisation that was founded in 1998.-Founding:The Arab Commission for Human Rights is a human rights non-governmental organisation founded on 17 January 1998 by 15 human rights activists from around the Arab...
and other organisations about human rights in Saudi Arabia
Human rights in Saudi Arabia
Human rights in Saudi Arabia are intended to be based on Islamic religious laws under rule of the Saudi royal family. The government of Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi legal system, has been criticized for its treatment of religious and political minorities, homosexuals, apostates, and women...
and Saudi Arabian prisons. The following year, the Working Group complained to Saudi authorities about the arbitrary arrest and detention of Abdel Rahman Samara, a Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
, who was held in `Ulaysha Prison for five and a half months before being transferred to al-Ha'ir Prison
Al-Ha'ir Prison
Al-Ha'ir Prison is a Saudi Arabian maximum-security prison facility located approximately 25 miles south of Riyadh...
. The Working Group said that holding Samara "incommunicado, without access to a lawyer and without being brought to justice" constituted a violation of Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
.
Bahraini citizen Khalil `Abdul Rahman `Abdul Karim al-Janahi
Khalil Janahi
Khalil Janahi is a citizen of Bahrain and Dubai who was arrested and held in Saudi Arabia in April 2007.According to Abdullah Hashim lawyer for the Bahrain's National Justice Movement, speaking in July 2008, Janahi's extrajudicial detention, and that of fellow Bahraini Abdurahim Al Murbati,was of...
was held in `Ulaysha Prison for at least 4 months for an unknown reason, starting 26 April 2007, without access to lawyers and without a trial. In November 2008 he was transferred from the Saudi prison system to the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, where he was detained without charge or trial until 11 June 2009, shortly after an Amnesty International appeal for his release. For the first four months in `Ulaysha Prison, Janahi was held in solitary confinement, handcuffed, in a one square metre cell, and had no contact with his family.
Riyadh University professor Dr Bachr al-Bachr, described by the support group for uncharged prisoners Adala as "a peaceful advocate of political change who frequently publicly criticised his government and its policies", was detained on 15 March 2007 by Mabahith
Mabahith
The Mabahith , also spelled Mabaheth, is the secret police agency of the Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia.According to Human Rights Watch, the Mabahith "monitors suspected political opponents and others, targets individuals for arrest, and interrogates detainees...
secret police at his home. He was held at `Ulaysha Prison and torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
d. His family was first allowed access to him after nine months, at which time he stated that he "was being held in a refrigerated underground cell where he was permanently handcuffed and blindfolded."
Political prisoners
Five founding members of the Umma Islamic PartyUmma Islamic Party
The Umma Islamic Party is a political party in Saudi Arabia that was formed on February 10, 2011 in response to the 2010-2011 Middle East and North Africa protests. Formed by a collective of opposition members including Islamists and intellectuals, the party is pro-reform and demands representation...
, created in 2011, Dr. Ahmad bin Sa'd al-Ghamidi, Professor Sa'ud al-Dughaithir, Shaikh Abd al-`Aziz al-Wuhaibi, Shaikh Muhammad bin Husain al-Qahtani, Professor Muhammad bin Nasir al-Ghamidi, Walid al-Majid and Professor Abd al-Karim al-Khadhar, were detained on 17 February 2011. HRW stated that the five "appear to have been detained solely for trying to create a party whose professed aims included greater democracy and protection for human rights." Prior to his own arrest, al-Khadhar stated that his colleagues were apparently held in `Ulaysha Prison.
Khaled al-Johani
Khaled al-Johani
Khaled al-Johani is a 40 year old teacher of religious instruction in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. , he is imprisoned without trial at `Ulaysha Prison for having publicly asked for freedoms and democracy in Saudi Arabia - an absolute monarchy - during the 2011 Saudi Arabian protests...
, who was detained on 11 March 2011 in 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...
, a would-be "Day of Rage" during the 2011 Saudi Arabian protests
2011 Saudi Arabian protests
The 2011 Saudi Arabian protests have been influenced by the Arab Spring that started with the 2011 Tunisian revolution. One of the main online organisers of a planned 11 March "Day of Rage", Faisal Ahmed Abdul-Ahad , was alleged to have been killed by Saudi security forces on 2 March, by which time...
, after talking about democracy, freedom
Freedom
-Philosophy:* Free will, the ability to make choices* Political freedom, in the context of the relationship of the individual to the state* Economic freedom-Computing:...
, freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
and justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
to BBC Arabic Television
BBC Arabic Television
BBC Arabic Television is a news and information television channel broadcast to the Middle East by the BBC. It was launched at 0956 GMT on 11 March 2008. The service was announced in October 2005 and was to start broadcasting in Autumn 2007, but was delayed...
reporters, has been held since then in `Ulaysha Prison. He was not allowed contact with his family for the first 58 days of his detention. While al-Johani remained under detention in `Ulaysha Prison, HRW described him as a "peaceful dissident" and Mohammad al-Qahtani of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association
Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association
The Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association is a Saudi Arabian human rights non-governmental organisation created in 2009.-Creation:...
said that al-Johani became known online
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
as "the only brave man in Saudi Arabia", because he appeared to be the only person who publicly protested in Saudi Arabia on 11 March, apart from several hundreds of protestors in Qatif
Qatif
Qatif or Al-Qatif is a governorate and urban area located in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south, and from the Persian Gulf in the east to King Fahd International Airport in the west...
, Hofuf
Hofuf
Al-Hofuf is the major urban center in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.- Overview :...
and al-Awamiyah
Al-Awamiyah
Al-Awamiyah or : is a village situated in the Al-Qatif region in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It has a population of Almost 25,000 people. Al-Awamiyah is bordered by the Al-Ramis farms to the east and some other farms to the west and the south...
.
Conditions of detention
Amnesty International reported the torture allegations of a YemenYemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i prisoner arrested in 2002 who stated that he was tortured every three to four days over his first 56 days of detention in the prison. He alleged that techniques used against him included being punched "in the face until blood burst out of [his] mouth", being beaten all over his body and "on the soles of the feet and legs while [his] legs were shackled", and "put under the air conditioner for a few hours". He was held at `Ulaysha for eight months, of which the first 56 days were in a two metre by one metre size cell. He was then transferred to al-Ha'ir Prison
Al-Ha'ir Prison
Al-Ha'ir Prison is a Saudi Arabian maximum-security prison facility located approximately 25 miles south of Riyadh...
.
External links
- http://www.adalaksa.org/ support website for Saudi Arabian prisoners held without charge or trial