Additional Name(s): عبدالله بصفر
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia
Ethnic Group: Arab
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sunni
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 12 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: August//2020
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: Yes
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Figure & Religious Leadership Role
Nature of Charges: Unknown
Abdullah Basfar is imprisoned for his religious activity and leadership.
In August 2020, authorities arrested Basfar, an imam, professor, well-known Qur’an reciter, and former Secretary-General of the Commission on Scientific Signs in the Quran and Sunnah. Basfar’s arrest came after an old video of him leading prayer in Turkey surfaced, following the deterioration of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
In October 2022, Saudi authorities sentenced Basfar to 12 years' imprisonment.