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A British national arrested in Saudi Arabia on charges that appear to relate to a deleted tweet has been jailed for 10 years, according to British lawyers and campaign groups representing the family.
Ahmed al-Doush was arrested in August and, while it is understood that UK Foreign Office officials were allowed into the Saudi court for his hearing, the British government has been criticised for a lack of action since his arrest.
Jeed Basyouni, who leads the human rights group Reprieve’s work to stop the use of the death penalty, said: “This is what can happen when the UK government fails to stand up for the rights of its citizens arbitrarily detained overseas.
“A British man was abducted in front of his family and disappeared into a Saudi jail on charges unknown, and for eight months the Foreign Office failed to do what was needed and seek his release.
“When a British national is convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison and neither his family nor his lawyer nor the Foreign Office know of what crime he has been accused something has gone very badly wrong.”
She added: “It would be farcical if it was not a tragedy for this family who have been badly let down by the government.”
A government special envoy for British nationals arbitrarily detained overseas has yet to be appointed.
Doush’s wife, Amaher Nour, based in Manchester, has four children including one born while her husband was detained in Saudi Arabia. She was given brief news of his lengthy sentence by the lawyer appointed to him by the Saudi government.
Foreign Office officials at the hearing were able to pass news of the sentence to Doush’s British lawyers, it is understood.
Haydee Dijkstal, a barrister at 33 Bedford Row chambers and the international counsel for Doush, said: “Online expression, even if expressing concern or criticism of a government, should not be criminalised or lead to detention and imprisonment. Using anti-terrorism legislation to punish and repress online expression on social media with severe prison sentences is inconsistent with international law and human rights standards.”
Speaking before the sentence, Nour said: “I rarely speak to my husband but in the few snatched conversations we have managed it is clear that Ahmed is struggling.
“He has thyroid problems and is tormented by mental distress. He worries about his family particularly as he was the sole breadwinner. He missed the birth of our fourth child and our 10-year wedding anniversary.
“Because Ahmed is a British citizen we expected the UK to provide clarity amid a storm of uncertainty. But the Foreign Office refused to share information with me for months – citing data protection – while at the same time accepting assurances from Saudi Arabia at face value.”
The Foreign Office has also said the Middle East minister, Hamish Falconer, had raised the case multiple times with Saudi officials but Nour said she had been refused a meeting with the foreign secretary, David Lammy.
Her husband had received only three consular visits since he was imprisoned in August.
She said: “We think Ahmed is being charged for a tweet he posted seven years ago and subsequently deleted.
“Ahmed has been sleeping in an overcrowded cell that is filthy. My husband is a dedicated family man who is devoted to his children, spending weekends taking them to restaurants and the park. They are distraught and are constantly asking when he will be back. I no longer know how to answer their questions.
“For me the night-time is an empty void where I question over and over why this has happened to us.
“What Ahmed has endured over the past eight months is tortuous prolonged solitary confinement, unclear charges, a forced confession and excessive surveillance by prison authorities all managed by a powerless state-appointed legal counsel.”
