Mahmoud Ahmad Mahmoud Abou Taqiqa al-Huwaiti was arrested, alongside Shadly and Abdullah al-Huwaiti, on November 24, 2020, while on his family’s farm in the al-Khuraiba region. Saudi Presidency of State Security (SSP) agents, dressed in civilian and military clothing, conducted the arrest, after which they transferred al-Huwaiti to the General Directorate of Investigations (GID) prison in Tibuk. He was then transferred to the SSP-run Dhahban prison in Jeddah. Al-Huwaiti was placed in solitary confinement for six months during which he was subjected to brutal acts of psychological and physical torture.
He was first brought before the SCC eight months after his arrest, in July 2021. Al-Huwaiti was charged with inciting public opinion and harming national unity for expressing his opposition to the forcible displacement of the al-Huwaitat tribe, in light of the NEOM megacity project. Al-Huwaiti was further charged for having a photo on his phone of his brother, Abdulrahim al-Huwaiti, who was killed by the Saudi authorities in April 2020, while resisting his eviction from his house in al-Khuraiba.
On August 10, 2020, several UN Special Procedures mandate holders issued a letter to the Saudi authorities expressing grave concern over the death of Abdulrahim al-Huwaiti.
After five hearings before the court, Mahmoud al-Huwaiti was sentenced to 35 years in prison for terrorism-related charges stemming from the exercise of his right to freedom of expression.
On March 16, 2023, MENA Rights Group and ALQST for Human Rights requested the urgent intervention of several UN Special Procedures mandate holders, including the Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions and on the right to adequate housing. More specifically, we requested them to urge Saudi Arabia to repeal al-Huwaiti’s prison sentence.
