Gender: Female
Current Location: La Esperanza prison, Tipitapa, Nicaragua
Perpetrator: Nicaragua
Religion or Belief: Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Date of Detainment: August/19/2023
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Online Activity Religious Association
Nature of Charges: Drug Trafficking & Illicit Drug Use Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials Treason & Sedition
Gabriela Morales is detained in relation to a crackdown on religious institutions.
On August 19, 2023, police detained Morales, who was a student at the Jesuit Juan Pablo II University. The government cancelled the University's legal status and confiscated its property in March 2023. Morales's detention occurred amidst a crackdown on Catholic institutions in Nicaragua, including the government's arbitrary cancellation of the Jesuit University of Central America's (UCA) legal status and seizure of its property in August 2023. Reports suggest that prior to Morales' arrest, she expressed her support for the UCA.
In October 2023, it was reported that Morales had been charged with spreading false news and undermining national integrity and had been denied access to a lawyer in the first two legal proceedings of her trial. It was subsequently reported that Morales had also been charged with possession of marijuana.
In November 2023, Morales was found guilty of drug trafficking and not guilty of spreading false news and undermining national integrity.
Related case: Adela Elizabeth Espinoza Tercero
Additional Name(s): Adela Elizabeth Espinoza Tercero
Gender: Female
Current Location: La Esperanza prison, Tipitapa, Nicaragua
Perpetrator: Nicaragua
Religion or Belief: Christian – Catholic
Reports of Torture: No
Date of Detainment: August/19/2023
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Religious Association
Nature of Charges: Drug Trafficking & Illicit Drug Use Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials Treason & Sedition
Adela Tercero is detained in relation to a crackdown on religious institutions.
On August 19, 2023, police detained Tercero, who was a student leader at the Jesuit Central American University (UCA) in Managua. Tercero's detention occurred amidst a crackdown on Catholic institutions in Nicaragua, including the government arbitrarily cancelling UCA's legal status and confiscating its property.
In October 2023, it was reported that Tercero had been charged with spreading false news and undermining national integrity and had been denied access to a lawyer in the first two legal proceedings of her trial. It was subsequently reported that Tercero had also been charged with possession of marijuana.
In November 2023, Tercero was found guilty of drug trafficking and not guilty of spreading false news and undermining national integrity.
Related case: Gabriela Morales
Additional Name(s): Muhammad al-Ghamdi, محمد بن ناصر الغامدي
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia
Ethnic Group: Arab
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sunni
Health Concerns: Mental Health Issues
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes
Sentence: Death
Date of Detainment: June/11/2022
Date of Sentencing: July/10/2023
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Criticizing Religious Freedom Conditions Online Activity
Nature of Charges: Insulting Public Officials & Institutions Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials Terrorism
Mohammed al-Ghamdi is imprisoned and sentenced to death for expressing support for religious prisoners of conscience.
On June 11, 2022, security forces in Mecca arrested al-Ghamdi outside his home. He was subsequently placed him in solitary confinement for four months in al-Dhahban Prison near Jeddah and was prohibited from contacting his family and accessing a lawyer.
On July 10, 2023, the Specialized Criminal Court sentenced al-Ghamdi to death for “describing the King or the Crown Prince in a way that undermines religion or justice" (Art. 30 Counterterrorism Law), "supporting a terrorist ideology" (Art. 34 Counterterrorism Law), “communication with a terrorist entity” (Art. 43 Counterterrorism Law), and publishing false news “with the intention of executing a terrorist crime” (Art. 44 Counterterrorism Law). According to his trial judgement, al-Ghamdi had been accused of criticizing the government and calling for the release of imprisoned religious prisoners of conscience such as Salman al-Ouda and Ali al-Omari on Twitter, despite having less than 10 followers. Al-Ghamdi's brother, Saeed al-Ghamdi, is a religious scholar and a well-known dissident who received asylum in the United Kingdom following Saudi Arabia's 2017 crackdown on scholars, intellectuals, and activists. Saeed al-Ghamdi is also head of the SANAD Rights Foundation, which documents human rights abuses, including against religious prisoners of conscience, in Saudi Arabia and has argued Mohammed al-Ghamdi's sentencing is an attempt to stop his work.
On September 15, 2023, several UN experts called for al-Ghamdi's release.
Al-Ghamdi's health has reportedly deteriorated since his arrest. Authorities have reportedly refused to give him some of his prescription medications meant to treat his mental health issues.
Related Cases: Salman al-Ouda, Ali al-Omari
"Saudi Arabia: Revoke death penalty for social media activity, UN experts urge" UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
"Saudi Arabia: Man sentenced to death over twitter posts: Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi" Amnesty International
“Saudi Arabia: Man Sentenced to Death for Tweets” Human Rights Watch (HRW)
“Saudi Arabia reportedly sentences man to death for criticizing government on social media” CBS News
"Internet activist sentenced to death for tweets" Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)