UK – The Guardian, May 12, 2025
UK Foreign Office criticised by campaigners as Ahmed al-Doush given sentence for charges thought to relate to deleted tweet
A British national arrested in Saudi Arabia on charges that appear to relate to a deleted tweet has been jailed for 10 years, according to British lawyers and campaign groups representing the family.
Ahmed al-Doush was arrested in August and, while it is understood that UK Foreign Office officials were allowed into the Saudi court for his hearing, the British government has been criticised for a lack of action since his arrest.
Jeed Basyouni, who leads the human rights group Reprieve’s work to stop the use of the death penalty, said: “This is what can happen when the UK government fails to stand up for the rights of its citizens arbitrarily detained overseas.
“A British man was abducted in front of his family and disappeared into a Saudi jail on charges unknown, and for eight months the Foreign Office failed to do what was needed and seek his release.
“When a British national is convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison and neither his family nor his lawyer nor the Foreign Office know of what crime he has been accused something has gone very badly wrong.”
