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Raif Badawi was imprisoned for his religious freedom advoacy, expression about religion, and for criticizing religious authorities.
In June 2012, authorities arrested Badawi, a…
Mohammad bin Hassan al-Habib is imprisoned for his religious expression, leadership role, and religious freedom advocacy.
In July 2016, authorities detained al-Habib, a Shi'a cleric, as he…
Ashraf Fayadh was imprisoned for apostasy.
In August 2013, authorities arrested Fayadh, a Palestinian poet and artist living in Saudi Arabia, following an altercation with a man in …
Ahmad al-Shamri is imprisoned and sentenced to death for blasphemy.
In 2014, authorities arrested al-Shamri, accused him of using social media to insult or renounce Islam, and charged him…
Bolatbek Dyusenbekovich Nurgaliyev was imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
On October 27, 2018, authorities arrested Nurgaliyev for participating in a WhatsApp group chat…
Ernar Samatov was imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
On October 27, 2018, Kazakh authorities arrested Samatov for participating in a WhatsApp group chat about Islam.…
Beket Mynbasov was imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
On October 27, 2018, Kazakh authorities arrested Mynbasov for participating in a WhatsApp group chat about Islam…
Hassan Farhan al-Maliki is detained for his religious expression and religious freedom advocacy.
In September 2017, authorities arrested al-Maliki, an…
Ali al-Nimr was imprisoned for his religious identity and for protesting religious discrimination.
In July 2012, authorities detained Al-Nimr, the nephew of prominent Shia cleric Nimr al-…
Dawood al-Marhoun was imprisoned for his religious identity and for protesting religious discrimination.
On May 21, 2012, authorities arrested al-Marhoun, who was 17 years old at the time…
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…
Aisha al-Muhajiri is detained for her religious activity.
In February 2021, police raided al-Muhajiri's home in Mecca and detained her for preaching and giving Qur'an lessons at her home.…
Mohammed al-Rabiah is imprisoned for his activism against state imposed religious systems.
On May 15, 2018, authorities arrested al-Rabiah amid a statewide crackdown on women's rights…
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…
Waleed abu al-Khair is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
In April 2014, authorities arrested al-Khair for legally defending religious prisoners of conscience, including Raif…
Nazim Abdrakhmanov was imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
On October 27, 2018, authorities arrested Abdrakhmanov for participating in a WhatsApp group chat about Islam…
Samat Adilov was imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
On October 27, 2018, authorities arrested Adilov for participating in a WhatsApp group chat about Islam.
On…
Zhasulan Iskakov was imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
On October 27, 2018, authorities arrested Iskakov for participating in a WhatsApp group chat about Islam.…
Esim Suleimenov was imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
On October 27, 2018, authorities arrested Suleimenov for participating in a WhatsApp group chat about Islam.…
Azamat Umbetaliyev was imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
On October 27, 2018, authorities arrested Umbetaliyev for participating in a WhatsApp group chat about…
Zhuldyzbek Taurbekov was imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
On October 27, 2018, authorities arrested Taurbekov for participating in a WhatsApp group chat about…
Dilmurat Sultanmuratovich Makhamatov was imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
On December 19, 2018, Kazakh authorities arrested Makhamatov after reportedly forcing…
Galymzhan Abilkairov was imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
On April 23, 2018, authorities arrested Abilkairov reportedly following an investigation into sermons he…
Abdukhalil Abduzhabbarov was imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
On February 18, 2017, Kazakh authorities arrested Abduzhabbarov, an imam, after extraditing him from Saudi…
Nariman Seytzhanov was imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
On January 15, 2017, authorities arrested Seytzhanov reportedly over a meeting he had in a coffeeshop in…
Ali Aboluhom is imprisoned for his religious expression.
In August 2021, authorities arrested Aboluhom for allegedly expressing ideas about atheism online. Prosecutors charged him with…
Murtaja Qureiris was imprisoned for his religious identity and for protesting religious discrimination.
On September 20, 2014, authorities arrested Qureiris, who was 13 years old at the…
Ali al-Omari is detained for his religious activity and leadership role.
In September 2017, authorities arrested al-Omari, an Islamic scholar, talk-show personality, and chairman of TV…
Israa al-Ghomgham is imprisoned for her religious identity and religious freedom advocacy.
In December 2015, Saudi authorities arrested al-Ghomgham, a well-known Shi'a activist, along with…
Mousa al-Hashim is imprisoned for his religious identity and religious freedom advocacy.
In December 2015, Saudi authorities arrested al-Hashim along with his wife, a well-known Shi'a…
Mohammed Issam al-Faraj is imprisoned for his religious identity and religious freedom advocacy.
On June 29, 2017, authorities in Medina arrested al-Faraj for protesting the state's…
Ali Hassan al-Faraj is detained for his religious identity and religious freedom advocacy.
In June 2017, authorities in Medina arrested al-Faraj for protesting against the state's treatment…
Ahmed Abdul Wahid is detained for his religious identity and religious freedom advocacy.
In June 2017, authorities in Medina arrested al-Faraj for protesting against the state's treatment of…
Ali Mohammed Al Bati is detained for his religious identity and religious freedom advocacy.
In June 2017, authorities in Medina arrested Al Bati for protesting against the state's treatment…
Mohammed Hussein Al Nimr is detained for his religious identity and religious freedom advocacy.
In June 2017, authorities in Medina arrested Al Bati for protesting against the state's…
Jalal Labbad was imprisoned and executed for his religious identity and for protesting religious freedom conditions.
On February 23, 2017, authorities arrested Labbad from his family’s home…
Dadash Mazhenov was imprisoned for posting online religious content.
On April 23, 2018, authorities arrested Mazhenov in relation to posts he made online containing religious sermons in 2015…
Ahmed al-Matrood is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
On an unspecified date, Saudi authorities arrested al-Matrood for protesting in Al-Qatif governorate against the state's…
Khaled al-Ghanim is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
On an unspecified date, Saudi authorities arrested al-Ghanim for protesting in Al-Qatif governorate against the state's…
Ali al-Ouwaisher is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
On an unspecified date, Saudi authorities arrested al-Ouwaisher for protesting in Al-Qatif governorate against the state's…
Mujtaba al-Muzain is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
On an unspecified date, Saudi authorities arrested al-Muzain for protesting in Al-Qatif governorate against the state's…
Lina Alsharif was detained in relation to religious freedom advocacy.
In May 2021, officials from the Saudi Presidency of State Security raided Alsharif’s home in Riyadh, arrested her, and…
Sulaiman al-Dowaish was forcibly disappeared for his religious expression.
In April 2016, al-Dowaish, a religious scholar, was forcibly disappeared after posting tweets summarizing a…
Aimidoula Waili was detained for his ethnoreligious identity.
In November 2020, Saudi Arabian authorities arrested Waili, a Uyghur Muslim and religious scholar, following an extradition…
Nuermaimaiti Ruze was detained for his ethnoreligious identity.
In November 2020, Saudi Arabian authorities arrested Ruze, a Uyghur Muslim, following an extradition request from the Chinese…
Buheliqiemu Abula was detained for her ethnoreligious identity.
In March 2022, Saudi Arabian authorities detained Abula, a Uyghur Muslim, and threatened her with deportation to China.
…
Ali Badahdah is imprisoned in relation to his religious activity and leadership.
On September 12, 2017, armed soldiers arrested Badahdah, an imam and professor of hadith at King Abdul Aziz…
Asmaa al-Subaie is detained for her women’s rights activism critical of state-imposed religious systems.
In June 2021, authorities affiliated with the Presidency of State Security arrested…
Omar Abdullah al-Saadoun is detained for her religious freedom advocacy.
In July 2021, authorities arrested Omar Abdullah al-Saadoun, a cleric and legal advisor, after he wrote an article…
Omar al-Muqbil is imprisoned for his religious expression and religious freedom advocacy.
In September 2019, authorities arrested al-Muqbil, a cleric, for a sermon criticizing concerts…
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-…
Abdulrahman Al-Sadhan is imprisoned for his religious expression.
In March 2018, security agents from the Presidency of State Security arrested Al-Sadhan for operating two anonymous…
Salma al-Shehab was imprisoned for her women's rights activism opposing state-imposed religious systems as well as her religious identity.
On January 15, 2021, authorities arrested al-…
Saleh Al Talib is imprisoned for his religious expression leadership.
In August 2018, authorities arrested Talib, an imam at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, following a sermon he gave criticizing…
Youssef al-Manasif is imprisoned and sentenced to death for his religious identity and religious freedom advocacy.
In April 2017, authorities arrested al-Manasif for participating in…
Abdullah al-Derazi was imprisoned and executed for his religious identity and for protesting religious freedom conditions.
On August 27, 2014, Tarut Island Police arrested al-Derazi in…
Anatoli Zernichenko is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.
On October 15, 2021, authorities in Arys arrested Zernichenko for posting religious texts on Instagram and…
Abdul Majeed Al-Arkani is imprisoned for his religious activity and expression.
In 2020, authorities arrested Al-Arkani, an imam, for being friendly with a prominent Turkish figure, Yasin…
Khaled Al-Rashed is imprisoned for his religious expression and association.
In March 2006, Saudi authorities arrested Al-Rashed, a cleric, for his membership in the Movement of Reformers…
Manahel al-Otaibi is imprisoned for her religious freedom advocacy.
In November 2022, Saudi authorities arrested al-Otaibi, an online fitness influencer, for opposing religiously grounded…
Badr Nader Al-Mashari is detained for his religious belief and activity.
In July 2023, authorities detained Al-Mashari, a prominent cleric who criticized the Saudi government's sponsorship…
Mohammed al-Ghamdi is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
In June 2022, security forces in Mecca arrested al-Ghamdi at his home. Prosecutors accused him of…
Anas al-Mazrou is detained for his religious freedom advocacy.
In March 2019, authorities arrested al-Mazrou, a university lecturer, for participating in a human rights panel at the…
Daniil Smal was detained for refusing to serve in the military on religious grounds.
On May 17, 2023, conscription authorities summoned Smal to the district conscription office of Rudny,…
Nourah al-Qahtani is imprisoned for her religious activity.
In July 2021, officers of the Presidency of State Security arrested al-Qahtani for advocating for human rights on social…
Mariam Al Qisoom is imprisoned for her religious freedom advocacy.
In February 2019, authorities arrested Qisoom for her human rights advocacy on behalf of Shi'a minorities in…
Asadullo Madraimov is imprisoned for his criticism of religious freedom violations.
In October 2023, Kyrgyz authorities arrested Madraimov for participating in a video that protested…
Mamirzhan Tashmatov was imprisoned for his criticism of religious freedom violations.
On October 18, 2023, Kyrgyz authorities arrested Madraimov for participating in a video that…
Assad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi was sentenced on religious-based charges related to social media activity criticizing the Saudi government, including the authorities’ sidelining of the Saudi religious…
Pavel Shreider was imprisoned for his religious activity and leadership role.
In November 2024, armed National Security Committee officials arrested Shreider, a pastor of the banned True and…
Malik al-Dowaish is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
In July 2022, Saudi authorities arrested Malik al-Dowaish for peacefully advocating for his father, Sulaiman al-…
Yakov Vorontsov is detained for his religious expression and leadership role.
In February 2026, authorities arrested Vorontsov, a priest of an unregistered Orthodox church, during a…
Awad al-Qarni is imprisoned and sentenced to death for his religious belief and leadership role.
In September 2017, authorities arrested Qarni, a renowned Sunni preacher and scholar,…
Bekzat Maksutkhan is detained for his religious freedom advocacy.
In November 2025, Kazakh officials arrested Maksutkhan and 18 other human rights activists for protesting China's…
Kuandyk Koszhanov is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
In November 2025, Kazakh officials arrested Koszhanov and 18 other human rights activists for protesting China's…
Margulan Nurdangazy is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
In November 2025, Kazakh officials arrested Nurdangazy and 18 other human rights activists for protesting China's…
Yerkinbek Nurakyn is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
In November 2025, Kazakh officials arrested Nurakyn and 18 other human rights activists for protesting China's…
Batylbek Baikazy is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
In November 2025, Kazakh officials arrested Baikazy and 18 other human rights activists for protesting China's arrest…
Bakytzhan Shugyl is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
In November 2025, Kazakh officials arrested Shugyl and 18 other human rights activists for protesting China's arrest…
Yerbol Nurlybaev is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
In November 2025, Kazakh officials arrested Nurlybaev and 18 other human rights activists for protesting China's…
Tursynbek Kabi is imprisoned for his religious freedom advocacy.
In November 2025, Kazakh officials arrested Kabi and 18 other human rights activists for protesting China's arrest of a…
Yevgeny Zhuravsky is detained for his religious belief and activity.
In June 2026, authorties detained Zhuravsky and 4 other members of the banned True and Free Reform Seventh-day…
Valeriya Yantsen is detained for her religious belief and activity.
In June 2026, authorities detained Yantsen and 4 other members of the banned True and Free Reform Seventh-day…
Sergey Kozlov is detained for his religious belief and activity.
In June 2026, authorities detained Kozlov and 4 other members of the banned True and Free Reform Seventh-day…
Igor Kozlov is detained for his religious belief and activity.
In June 2026, authorities detained Kozlov and 4 other members of the banned True and Free Reform Seventh-day…
Olga Selova is detained for her religious belief and activity.
In June 2026, authorities detained Selova and 4 other members of the banned True and Free Reform Seventh-day Adventist…