Lehrer wieder frei

Der 40-jährige Lehrer Khaled al-Johani war am 11. März 2011 von Sicherheitskräften in Riad festgenommen und inhaftiert worden. Einige Minuten zuvor hatte er dem arabisch-sprachigen Dienst der BBC ein Interview gegeben, in dem er unter anderem über die fehlenden Freiheiten in Saudi-Arabien sprach. Er war offensichtlich der einzige Demonstrierende, der trotz des großen Aufgebots an Sicherheitskräften an diesem Tag den Ort, an dem die Demonstration stattfinden sollte, erreicht hatte.

Khaled al-Johani soll zunächst im 'Ulaysha-Gefängnis in Riad festgehalten worden sein, wo er zwei Monate in Einzelhaft verbracht haben soll. Anschließend wurde er in das al-Hair-Gefängnis – ebenfalls in Riad – gebracht, wo ihn seine Familienangehörigen besuchen durften. Nach einer Auseinandersetzung mit Mithäftlingen wurde Khaled al-Johani Berichten zufolge im Februar 2012 erneut in Einzelhaft untergebracht. Er soll zudem an einem kalten Tag ohne Essen und warme Kleidung in einen Außenraum gesperrt worden sein. Weiterhin wird berichtet, dass Khaled al-Johani immer wieder von Gefängniswärtern beschimpft und bedroht worden ist und dass sich seine psychische Verfassung verschlechtert hat.

Nach fast einem Jahr in Haft musste sich Khaled al-Johani vor dem Sonderstrafgericht in Riad verantworten. Dieses Gericht wurde 2008 eingerichtet, um Personen den Prozess zu machen, denen terrorismusbezogene Straftaten zur Last gelegt werden. Der Generalsstaatsanwalt verlas die Anklagen, die laut örtlicher Quellen unter anderem auf "Unterstützung von Demonstrationen", "Erscheinen am Ort einer Demonstration" und "Kommunikation mit ausländischen Medien in einer Weise, die den Ruf des Königreiches schädigte", lauteten. Das Gericht vertagte die Verhandlung und erlaubte Khaled al-Johani zum ersten Mal nach über elf Monaten Haft die Benennung eines Rechtsbeistands seiner Wahl.

Khaled al-Johani durfte am 25. Juli das Gefängnis verlassen, um 48 Stunden mit seiner Familie zu verbringen. Am Abend des 27. Juli brachte man ihn in die Hafteinrichtung zurück.

Amnesty International hat erst vor Kurzem erfahren, dass Khaled al-Johani am 8. August aus der Haft entlassen wurde. Nach vorliegenden Informationen droht ihm zwar kein Verfahren mehr wegen der ihm zur Last gelegten Anklagen, aber sein genauer rechtlicher Status ist nicht bekannt.

Weitere Appelle des Eilaktionsnetzes sind nicht erforderlich. Vielen Dank allen, die sich für Khaled al-Johani eingesetzt haben.

[HINTERGRUNDINFORMATIONEN AUF ENGLISCH]

Against the background of the mass demonstrations and uprisings across North Africa and the Middle East during 2011, some Saudi Arabians have felt emboldened to defy the permanent ban on protests in their country. The royal family initially responded by handing out benefits to citizens worth billions of dollars, including the creation of 300 jobs in the Ministry of Interior’s Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution. But then the authorities toughened their stance.

In early 2011 an unknown group of Saudi Arabian activists had created a page on Facebook called "the people want to overthrow the regime". The group called for an elected Shura Council (the present one is a consultative body appointed by the King), a fully independent judiciary, the release of all political prisoners, the exercise of freedom of expression and assembly, the abolition of all duties and taxes, and a minimum wage. In Riyadh after Friday prayer on 4 March 2011, a rally was held aimed at building momentum for what was planned to be the major demonstration, the "Day of Rage", on 11 March. A 25-year-old teacher, Muhammad al-Wad’ani, was arrested that day and is still held.

Protests by the minority Shi’a Muslim community also started in February 2011, in the Eastern Province. In response to this and amid reports that further protests calling for reform by others in Saudi Arabia were planned, the Ministry of Interior issued a statement on 5 March 2011 confirming the long-standing ban on demonstrations. According to the statement, security forces would take "all necessary measures" against those who attempt to disrupt order.

The ban was backed the following day by the Council of Senior Ulema (Saudi Arabia’s highest religious authority), the religious police and the Shura Council (a body that advises the monarchy). The country’s religious leaders, the Shura Council and religious police instructed people not to join the "Day of Rage", and some media reports suggested that some 10,000 soldiers were to be deployed to stop the protests.

The threats by the authorities seemed to work. Khaled al-Johani, the only protester to reach the designated location of the demonstration, was arrested on 11 March, minutes after speaking to international journalists. That day, and in the days leading up to the intended "Day of Rage", the security forces reportedly arrested dozens of people they suspected of being involved in organizing the planned protests in Riyadh or of trying to participate in the "Day of Rage" demonstration. Most of those arrested were apparently released soon afterwards. Amnesty International has information about a further four people arrested at this time who are still held, but does not know whether any others are still detained see the report issued on 9 March 2012, Saudi Arabia’s Day of Rage: One year on, (http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE23/007/2012/en)

Sporadic protests have continued, spurred in some cases by grievances about the prolonged detention without charge of relatives or about discrimination against the Shi’a minority, particularly in the east of the country, and in others by a desire for political reform. In most cases, they have been dispersed quickly and those arrested have often been pressured into pledging not to come out onto the streets again, before being released or held incommunicado for prolonged periods. In some cases they are alleged to have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated. The repression of protesters comes against a backdrop of continuing repression of human rights activists, political dissidents and critics of the authorities, a number of whom have been detained and, in some cases, tried and imprisoned. While they are often accused, and convicted, of security-related offences, in courts set up to deal with security and terrorism-related offences, the acts which they are alleged to have committed generally appear to involve merely the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly. For more information see the report Saudi Arabia: Repression in the name of security issued on 1 December 2011 at http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE23/016/2011/en