On 27 December 2024, Turkish authorities arrested Syrian refugee Mohamad Alkayali based on a 2016 INTERPOL Red Notice requested by Saudi Arabia. He is charged with “forgery of seals,” a charge brought against him three years after his departure from Saudi Arabia, where he had faced harassment for criticizing the government’s treatment of Syrian refugees. Mohamad Alkayali, who is not a Saudi national, has since challenged the Red Notice on legal grounds. Extraditing him to Saudi Arabia would expose him to the risk of arbitrary detention or other, potential serious human rights violations. Turkish authorities must immediately halt the extradition and release him from detention.
