Amnesty International calls on Saudi Arabia to release Hamas official

SANAA, Oct. 7 (YPA) – Amnesty International has once again called Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz to secure the release of former Hamas official Dr Muhammad Al-Khodari from prison.

In a series of tweets in Arabic, Amnesty called for the Saudi King to “immediately” release 81-year-old Al-Khodari and his son Hani “without a restriction or a condition”, noting they “have been detained for more than a year in Saudi Arabia.”

The rights group added: “During their detention, Dr Muhammad al-Khodari and his son Hani al-Khodari were subjected to grave violations of their human rights, including forced disappearance, arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention.”

It pointed out that both the “two men, Al-Khodari and his son, have not had any legal representation since their arrest.”

Amnesty said that the two were scheduled to be brought before the Specialised Criminal Court, Saudi Arabia’s counter-terror court, yesterday, noting that “they have no legal representation”.

It also expressed concerns about the life of Al-Khodari, who “requires adequate medical attention and treatment for cancer” and said that he is at risk of contracting COVID-19 in prisons.

Al-Khodari has been living in Jeddah for nearly three decades, and was responsible for managing Hamas’ relationship with the kingdom for two decades.

Amnesty International said that Al-Khodari appeared before the court with his son on 8 March as part of a mass trial of 68 people, and added that he is facing charges of “joining a terrorist entity” and “establishing institutions within the kingdom to finance Hamas”.

E.M