The Board of Grievances Issued A Verdict Against The Directorate

Of General Investigations (DGI) In Thamer Al-Kathar’s Arbitrary Detention Case

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Wednesday, June 8 2011.

          The first administrative circuit court in the Riyadh Board of Grievances ruled that Thamer Al-Khathar, human rights activist, has been arbitrarily detained by the DGI (MOI), and he must be freed soon. The court verdict was based on article (114) of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law, which states:

 “The detention shall end with the passage of five days, unless the Investigator sees fit to extend the detention period.  In that case, he shall, prior to expiry of that period, refer the file to the Chairman of the branch of Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution in the relevant province so that he may issue an order for extending the period of the detention for a period or successive periods provided that they do not exceed in their aggregate forty days from the date of arrest, or otherwise release the accused.  In cases that require detention for a longer period, the matter shall be referred to the Director of the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution to issue an order that the arrest be extended for a period or successive periods none of which shall exceed thirty days and their aggregate shall not exceed six months from the date of arrest of the accused.  Thereafter, the accused shall be directly transferred to the competent court, or be released.”

During the court trial, which took four hearings, DGI’s lawyers had skipped all of them in a clear disrespect of the court. Thamer Abdulkareem Al-Kathar was arrested by DGI agents on March 3 2010 in Buraydah, Qassim Provence, located 300km North of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Since that day of his arrest, Thamer has been languishing in an incommunicado solitary confinement without charges nor court ruling.

 This ruling proves that the arrest of Thamer Al-Khathar by DGI is outside the authority of law, and probably would encourage other relatives of other detainees, who have been held without any due process of the law, to file similar lawsuits against DGI (MOI) to end the suffering of their loved ones.

We hope that this ruling would implemented immediately, and not ignored as what happened in other similar cases.     

 Thamer Al-Kathar’s Legal Representatives:

1. Abdulkareem Yousif Al-Kathar

2. Mohammad Fahad Al-Qahtani

3. Fowzan Mohsen Al-Harbi