In a terrifying turn of events, a British national and former Bank of America contractor was arrested in King Khalid, Saudi Arabia airport by plainclothes police, and has been indefinitely detained with no clear charges or the ability to speak to his lawyers or family.
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The 41-year-old has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for a since deleted tweet he made back in 2018. He is hardly an influencer either, with only 37 followers. The Saudi government has deemed the tweet he allegedly made to be a threat to national security.
There are also claims that he is in contact with an exiled Saudi critic. However, like the information on the alleged tweet, this is also completely unsubstantiated and vague. His family believe that the unnamed contact may be a father of an acquaintance.
While traveling from King Khalid airport, Ahmed al-Doush was detained by plain-clothes policeman. His wife was not told of the charges or reasons for the arrest. She was then allowed to travel back to Manchester, but had no idea how long he would be held, or where.
They then held the former Bank of America analyst in a maximum-security prison. According to reports, he has been kept for 33 days in solitary confinement, where he remains now.
Imprisoned Man's Wife And Lawyer Scrambling For Information
As of yet, no clear charges or evidence have been brought forward by the Saudi government. His lawyer has since said, "The information known indicates that the charges against him, the proceedings and his treatment are contrary to international law and human rights standards."
His conviction is a very serious one, and his lawyers are turning to the UK government for help. In the past, the Saudi government has been known to issue the death penalty for social media posts.
Jeed Basyouni, head of death penalty project Reprieve told the New York Post, "When a British national is convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison, and neither his family nor his lawyer nor the Foreign Office know what crime he has been accused of, something has gone very badly wrong." He went on to say, "It would be farcical if it wasn't a tragedy for this family, who have been badly let down by the UK government."
The human rights violations and unfair detention of the former Bank of America analyst is very worrying. In only a few years, the country will be hosting the World Cup. This doesn't bode well for tourists and visitors hoping to visit a free and welcoming place.
