Salman al-Ouda

Additional Name(s): Salman al-Awda, Salman Alodah, Salman Fahad Al Odah, سلمان فهد العودة

Gender: Male

Current Location: Ha’ir Prison, South of Riyadh

Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia

Ethnic Group: Arab

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sunni

Reports of Torture: Yes

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: September//2017

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: Yes

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Criticizing Religious Freedom Conditions Religious Belief Religious Figure & Religious Leadership Role

Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Incitement to Commit Crime & Violence Terrorism Treason & Sedition

Salman al-Ouda

Extra Bio Info:

Salman al-Ouda is detained for his religious activity and leadership role.

In September 2017, police arrested al-Ouda, a sheikh and Islamic scholar, from his home amid a state-wide wave of arrests of intellectuals and activists. Detention authorities held al-Ouda incommunicado, placed him in solitary confinement, and denied him legal counsel for the first five months of his detention. Authorities held him in pre-trial detention for a year without charge.

In September 2018, prosecutors at the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh charged al-Ouda with 37 crimes, including “affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood” and “corrupting the country by [bringing] about civil strife," and "inflaming society against the rulers and stirring up unrest.” Prosecutors sought the death penalty for al-Ouda.

In April 2025, it was reported that Saudi authorities had repeatedly suspended or delayed al-Ouda's case and kept him in solitary confinement.

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