The wife of a British national imprisoned in Saudi Arabia since 2024 for social media posts has pleaded for his release as his health deteriorates. A UN working group on arbitrary detention found Ahmed al-Doush's detention to be arbitrary under international law and recommended his immediate release, along with compensation.
Humanitarian Appeal to Crown Prince
Amaher Nour, al-Doush's wife, has made a personal humanitarian appeal to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, backed by Amnesty International. She said: "One year and eight months have passed – long enough for us all to feel the weight of absence and the pain of separation. His return to his children has become a hope we hold on to every day."
Health Decline and Isolation
Amnesty International reported that al-Doush's physical and mental health have sharply declined due to chronic restrictions on communication with his family. He has undertaken multiple hunger strikes and his condition has raised fears of self-harm. The UK Foreign Office said it is supporting the detainee and that Middle East minister Hamish Falconer has raised the case with Saudi counterparts.
Al-Doush, a British citizen born in Sudan, has four children, the youngest aged one. He was arrested on a family holiday while his wife was pregnant. The UN working group report, published in March 2026, found his detention arbitrary due to being held incommunicado, not promptly informed of reasons for arrest, and denied access to family and consular visits for months.
Saudi Arabia, instead of complying with the UN recommendation, confirmed in April that al-Doush had been found guilty and his sentence reduced to five years. The Saudi government claimed he committed terrorist crimes, including support for terrorist ideology, and that all proper procedures were followed.
Al-Doush's lawyers stated that his social media account had only 37 followers and four posts, including one from 2018 about Sudan. His barrister, Haydee Dijkstal, urged the UK government to use the UN decision to help resolve this "unjust nightmare."
