Additional Name(s): عبد الله الزاهر

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia

Ethnic Group: Arab

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Shi'a

Reports of Torture: Yes

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Sentence: Commuted to 10 Years' Imprisonment(Originally Death)

Date of Detainment: March//2012

Date of Sentencing: October//2014

Date of Release: November/14/2021

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Children’s Rights Protesting Religious Freedom Conditions Religious Identity

Nature of Charges: Arms Trafficking & Illicit Use of Weapons Harboring a Fugitive Illegal Assembly Terrorism

Abdullah al-Zaher

Extra Bio Info:

Abdullah al-Zaher was imprisoned for his religious identity and for protesting religious discrimination.

In March 2012, authorities detained al-Zaher, 15 years old at the time, for participating in protests against Shi'a discrimination in the Eastern Province. According to Human Rights Watch, al-Zaher was held in pre-trial detention for 22 months without being charged.  He was also denied access to a lawyer before and during his trial. 

When al-Zaher was finally charged, he was accused of "'participating in marches and gatherings...and chanting slogans against the state,' throwing Molotov cocktails at police patrols," and "concealing men wanted by security forces."

In October 2014, the Specialized Criminal Court convicted al-Zaher of all charges and sentenced him to death. The main pieces of evidence indicating his supposed guilt were the arrest report and a confession that he was reportedly coerced into signing. The court failed to investigate his torture allegations. 

Al-Zaher's sentence was upheld in October 2015.

In November 2020, al-Zaher's sentence was commuted to ten years in prison.

On November 14, 2021, al-Zaher was released. 

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