Dr ‘Abdullah al-Hamed was arrested at his home by members of al-Mabahith al-‘Amma (General Intelligence) on 15 June 1993 and taken to an unknown location, where it is feared he may be subject to torture or ill-treatment. Dr ‘Abdullah al-Hamed, a writer and lecturer at al-Imam Muhammad bin Saud University in Riyadh, was one of the six founding members of Lujnat al- Difa’ ‘an al-Huquq al-Shar’iyya, Committee for the Defence of Legitimate Rights (CDLR) in Saudi Arabia. The spokesperson of the CDLR, Dr Muhammad al-Mas’ari has been held incommunicado since his arrest on 15 May, and has allegedly been tortured with sleep deprivation. Both men are regarded as prisoners of conscience arrested solely for the peaceful expression of their political beliefs.
Index Number: MDE 23/005/1993