Global Outcry Grows Over Detention of Salman al-Odah: Calls Mount for Saudi Arabia to Release Imprisoned Scholar
Amnesty International Condemns Ongoing Solitary Confinement, Torture, and Denial of Basic Rights to Sheikh Salman al-Odah.
Watan-In a renewed escalation of the case of Sheikh Salman al-Odah, international human rights organizations have launched a campaign to pressure Saudi authorities for his immediate release, citing what Amnesty International described as “harsh conditions and ongoing torture” during his solitary confinement.
Al-Odah, now 68 years old, has been imprisoned since September 2017 without a fair trial, according to Amnesty International. The organization reports that the prolonged solitary confinement, psychological abuse, sleep deprivation, and denial of family contact have caused him to lose half of his hearing and vision—constituting a clear violation of international law.
His arrest followed a tweet in which he called for reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, provoking anger within the kingdom’s political leadership. He now faces 37 charges, including “support for the Arab Spring” and “inciting public opinion”—allegations described as vague and lacking legal basis.
🛑نداء الإنقاذ الأخير قبل أن نسمع خبر وفاته داخل المعتقل كما حدث مع آخرين خرجوا من السجن، ولكن إلى القبر.. حملة دولية للضغط على النظام السعودي لإطلاق سراح الدكتور سلمان العودة، المغيب في معتقلات #السعودية منذ 8 سنوات.. فهل يستجيب محمد بن سلمان؟
يقبع في حبس انفرادي منذ 2017، حيث… pic.twitter.com/GDcVVnKKy7
— وطن. يغرد خارج السرب (@watanserb_news) May 21, 2025
Despite repeated calls from Amnesty and other rights groups for an end to his solitary confinement and for access to healthcare, al-Odah’s trial has been suspended since July 2021. Concern about his fate has intensified, especially after the Saudi public prosecutor demanded the death penalty.
The pressure is not limited to his case alone; his family has also faced repression, including unofficial travel bans and security surveillance—further fueling international criticism of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
Amnesty International has renewed its call for the international community to take a firm and clear stance against Saudi Arabia’s ongoing violations, emphasizing that al-Odah is being punished solely for his peaceful views—including his support for the Palestinian cause and rejection of normalization with Israel.
The question now looms: Will Saudi Arabia yield to international pressure, or will Sheikh al-Odah’s fate remain trapped in the prison cells of politics?
