Khaled al-Johani, the only man to reach the site of the demonstration to protest on the “Day of Rage” in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 11 March 2011, was released on 8 August.
Khaled al-Johani, a 40-year-old teacher, was arrested in the capital, Riyadh, on 11 March 2011 and taken into detention, minutes after an interview with BBC Arabic during which he spoke about the lack of freedoms in Saudi Arabia. He was apparently the sole protester who reached the location of the planned demonstration due to the heavy security presence on the day.
He is believed to have been held at first in Ulaysha prison in Riyadh and kept in solitary confinement there for two months. He was then transferred to al-Ha’ir prison in Riyadh, where he was allowed visits from his family. He is said to have refused an offer of a state-appointed lawyer, asking instead for a lawyer of his own choosing, which he was initially denied. He was apparently put into solitary confinement again in February 2012, after arguing with fellow inmates. On one occasion, he was confined outdoors on a cold day without food or warm clothing. It is reported that he was also verbally abused and threatened by prison guards, and that his mental health deteriorated.
After nearly a year in detention, his trial began on 22 February 2012 when he was brought before the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh, which was set up in 2008 to try people detained on terrorism-related charges. The General Prosecutor read out the charges, which according to local sources included “supporting demonstrations”, “being present at the location of a demonstration” and “communication with foreign media in a manner that harmed the reputation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”. The court adjourned and allowed him to appoint a lawyer of his choice for the first time, over 11 months after his arrest.
Khaled al-Johani was allowed to leave prison on 25 July for a family visit of 48 hours. He was subsequently returned to the same prison on the evening of 27 July.
Amnesty International received information only recently that Khaled al-Johani was released from prison on 8 August 2012. It appears that he is no longer facing trial on the charges brought against him, but his exact legal status is not known to Amnesty International.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE23/019/2012/en/15555f9b-19d4-4c73-aa5d-bde4279c5b60/mde230192012en.htmlCray cray.
Topic: Saudi Regime