Mohammad Abdullah al-Faraj

Extra Bio Info:

Mohammad Abdullah al-Faraj is imprisoned and sentenced to death for his religious freedom advocacy. 

In February 2017, plainclothes officers abducted al-Faraj from his home for participating in demonstrations against the state's treatment of Shi'a citizens and allegedly attending funerals of protestors killed by police in al-Qatif in 2011 and 2012. Authorities charged him with belonging to an armed terrorist organization under the Royal Decree No. A/44, the 2014 Counter-terrorism and Financing of Terrorism Act, and the Weapons and Ammunition Law issued in Royal Decree No. M/45, among others. 

In October 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court sentenced al-Faraj to death. 

During detention, authorities subjected al-Faraj to solitary confinement for four months. Authorities also subjected him to physical and psychological torture, including beatings, prolonged suspension, and threats of arresting his family. Judicial authorities used confessions made under duress to convict him.