Riyadh releases two Saudi-US political prisoners: campaigners

IslamNews – Saudi Arabia on Thursday provisionally released two Saudi-Americans after nearly two years of detention, campaigners and sources close to their families said, as the kingdom’s rights record comes under renewed US scrutiny.

Salah al-Haider, the son of a leading women’s rights activist and Bader al-Ibrahim, a writer and doctor, were detained in April 2019 and charged with terrorism-related crimes.

Their release was reported by campaign groups Prisoners of Conscience and the Washington-based Freedom Initiative as well as two sources close to both their families who requested anonymity.

“This is welcomed progress, even though it is long overdue,” Freedom Initiative’s Bethany al-Haidari said in a statement.

“Bader al-Ibrahim and Salah al-Haider should have never been jailed in the first place and their release should certainly not be on a ‘temporary’ basis.”
They were released pending trial in the kingdom’s Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) and their next court hearing is set for March 8, Freedom Initiative said.

Source: Middle East