Prominent Saudi dissident cleric without basic human rights in prison: Son

The son of prominent Saudi dissident Muslim Cleric Sheikh Salman al-Awdah says his father is subjected to treatment that infringes upon his basic rights and that he is denied urgent medical care, as a crackdown led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman against pro-democracy campaigners, Muslim preachers and intellectuals continues in the country.

According to Press TV, the rights group Prisoners of Conscience, which is an independent non-governmental organization advocating human rights in Saudi Arabia, announced in a post on its official Twitter page on Tuesday that the 63-year-old cleric’s son Abdullah al-Awdah has recently told BBC news network that the imprisoned scholar had been deprived of sleep for several days and thrown into solitary confinement.

He added that food was served to him in small bags thrown to him, and he had to open the bags with his mouth as he hands were bound.

Abdullah further noted that whenever his father is moved from one place to another, prison guards would take him and violently throw him into the car without any respect for his age and seniority.

The Arabic-language Saudi newspaper Okaz reported on September 4, 2018 that Saudi public prosecutors had leveled 37 counts against Awdah, and even demanded his execution.

Saudi authorities detained the prominent Muslim scholar on September 7 last year and have been holding him in solitary confinement without charge or trial ever since.

ME