/ / SAUDI ARABIA: RELEASE DETAINED FRENCH-EGYPTIAN NATIONAL

SAUDI ARABIA: RELEASE DETAINED FRENCH-EGYPTIAN NATIONAL

UA: 84.26

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French-Egyptian national Dr. Amr Abdelfattah has been detained in Saudi Arabia for over two years. He was arrested in June 2024 after performing the Hajj pilgrimage for an invalid visa permit. He was put on trial before the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) and learned during trial proceedings he was also being charged with expression-related offenses. In August 2026, his lawyer in France learned he had been sentenced to “years” in prison but was not told the specific sentence or basis for conviction. Since his arrest, Saudi authorities have denied him full access to a lawyer, subjected him to repeat bouts of torture and ill-treatment, held him incommunicado, and repeatedly denied him contact with his family.

Saudi authorities must immediately release him.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: December 31, 2026

Here is how you can take action:

Send a letter to the Saudi authorities
Send an email to the Saudi Minister of Justice, Walid bin Mohammad AlSama’ani using our email-writing tool
Send an email to the Saudi Embassy in Washington DC
Post on social media

Scroll down to Step 1 and Step 2 to access the full Urgent Action appeal and sample letter, and U.S.P.S. mailing address (if available).

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Step 1

READ THE FULL URGENT ACTION

Enter your email address and zip code to get the sample letter to send to government officials.

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You can now write a letter in your own words or download the sample below as a guide.

Remember to send your letter by December 31, 2026.

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Sample Letter

Your Excellency,

I am concerned about the ongoing detention and fair trial violations of French-Egyptian telecommunications engineer, Dr. Amr Abdelfattah, who has been detained in Saudi Arabia since June 16, 2024 after being arrested while performing the Hajj pilgrimage.

Dr. Amr Abdelfattah was arrested by Saudi security officials in Mecca, who asked to see his Hajj permit and informed him that it was invalid. His family subsequently told Amnesty International that they had fallen victim to a visa scam, a problem that has affected other pilgrims traveling for Hajj.

When Dr. Amr Abdelfattah was brought to trial, almost a year later, before the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC), he learned he was also facing several speech-related charges, including “insulting the government of the Kingdom”, “insulting the head of a state”, and violating the counter-terror law for “praising detained individuals”, none of which are recognizable offenses under international law. His family believes these charges are due to comments he made to a police officer following his arrest.

I am alarmed by allegations that Amr Abdelfattah has been subjected to torture and other ill-treatment while detained at Dhahban Central Prison. Prison guards subjected him to beatings, forced him to run with his feet tied, and denied him food. In December 2024, he lost consciousness after being beaten by officers and was taken to the hospital.

The Saudi authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Amr Abdelfattah. Until then, they must prevent further fair trial rights violations, ensure he has regular access to his family and legal representation, and effectively investigate allegations of torture and other ill-treatment.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Step 2

Send your message

Mail your letter to the government officials listed below. You can also email, fax, call, or post about them on social media.

Send your letter to:

Walid bin Mohammad AlSama’ani

Minister of Justice

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Postal Code 11472, P.O Box 7775

[email protected]

and

CC: Embassy of Saudi Arabia in the United States

Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud

Send a copy of your letter to the address below

601 New Hampshire Ave NW,

Washington, DC 20037

[email protected]

When writing your letter, don’t forget to be factual, brief, and show respect. See more letter writing tips and emails, or organize and host a letter writing party.

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