Saudi Scholar Qasem Al-Qathardi Dies in Prison Amid Ongoing Crackdown on Free Thought
The death of Sheikh Qasem Al-Qathardi in Abha Prison exposes Saudi Arabia’s relentless repression of moderate religious figures and independent voices.
Watan-In a new incident highlighting the ongoing violations against scholars and preachers in Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Qasem Al-Qathardi has died inside Abha Prison after years of unjust imprisonment and continuous suffering. His death was not natural; it was a direct result of the Saudi regime’s policies of repression and abuse against every independent voice — even those advocating moderate religious thought.
Sheikh Al-Qathardi, who was never affiliated with any political organization or involved in any confrontation with the state, was arrested in 2021 simply for attending a religious seminar by Sheikh Awad Al-Qarni nine years earlier and for possessing two books that were publicly available in libraries at the time. The charges brought against him were absurd: “undermining national unity” and “adopting extremist thought,” reflecting the nature of political trials that target freedom of opinion and thought in the Kingdom.
Death of Saudi Scholar Al-Qathardi Sparks Outcry Against Repression
Despite his advanced age and deteriorating health, Saudi authorities refused to release Al-Qathardi, leading to his last breath behind bars. His death sparked a wave of sadness and anger across social media, with his students, colleagues, and human rights activists mourning his loss, stressing that what happened is an unforgivable crime and a blatant violation of human rights.
The plight of scholars and preachers in Saudi Arabia remains a symbol of a dark era marked by suppression and silencing of dissent. The death of Al-Qathardi, a professor of Quranic studies and the head of the Tarteel Quran Memorization Association, is not just an isolated incident — it is yet another blow revealing how arenas of knowledge have been transformed into grounds for persecution, and how free expression is now prosecuted under terrorism charges.
The message from this tragedy is clear: there is no place for free thought under a regime that fears words more than bullets. Thrones that silence their scholars today are merely building the foundations of their own downfall.
