UK accused of failing to help British man jailed in Saudi Arabia over X posts

Supporters of a British man sentenced to eight years in prison in Saudi Arabia over X posts about Gaza, Egypt and Sudan are urging the UK government to take urgent action.

Ahmed al-Doush, 42, who was arrested on a holiday in the kingdom last August and convicted on terrorism charges over the social media posts, is preparing to start a hunger strike out of desperation, his lawyers and family said. 

“For one whole year, Ahmed al-Doush has been trapped in a living hell – abducted and separated from his young family and detained in Saudi Arabia," said Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK's chief executive.

“UK officials should be doing everything they can to secure Ahmed’s release, but instead, very little action is being taken. The UK government’s failure to advocate for Ahmed and help him return to his family is extremely worrying."

The 42-year-old was returning home to Manchester exactly a year ago when he was arrested at Riyadh international airport. It was the last time he saw his wife, Amaher Nour, and their three children.

Nour was pregnant at the time with their fourth child, now eight months old, whom Doush has never met.

Doush was held for more than five months, including 33 days in solitary confinement, during which he was interrogated, before he was told that charges were being brought against him.

In May, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, which was later reduced to eight.

His lawyers said they have been unable to access any court documents, the May judgment or information about the exact social media posts for which Doush was convicted.

Meanwhile, his contact with his family has been severely restricted. Doush has been informed that if he attempts to discuss his case, treatment, or detention conditions with them, or if he speaks in English, his monitored calls will be terminated immediately and he will be denied access to them for a period afterwards.

'My greatest fear now is for Ahmed’s health and well-being, especially in light of his hunger strike'

- Amaher Nour, Ahmed Doush's wife

Nour said the past year, dotted by these intermittent calls, has been "unbearable" for her and their children. 

“Our children have never adjusted to his absence, and every day is filled with pain and longing," she said.

"My greatest fear now is for Ahmed’s health and well-being, especially in light of his hunger strike. We are terrified for him and desperate for his safe return.”

Doush's supporters have criticised the UK government for repeatedly failing to advocate for him privately or publicly despite being provided information indicating that his rights under international law are being violated.

Haydee Dijkstal, Doush's lawyer, said: “Repeated calls for his case to be escalated to the highest levels to seek an expedient resolution to the arbitrary detention of a British national, which brings him home, have been dismissed as unnecessary. Yet, a year on, Ahmed remains in detention and increasingly vulnerable."

“Now, urgent action by the UK government is critically required given recent information indicating that the conditions of his detention, which have left him isolated and have significantly impacted his well-being, are abusive and risk subjecting him to significant harm.” 

When asked about criticism from Doush’s supporters and his potential hunger strike, the  Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office would only confirm that it was supporting a British man detained in Saudi Arabia and was in contact with his family and local authorities. 

Appeal proceedings in Doush's case remain ongoing, with a hearing originally scheduled for June repeatedly postponed.