On the 3rd anniversary of the arrest of 10 Egyptian Nubian citizens, GCHR calls for their immediate release

On the 3rd anniversary of the arrest of ten Egyptian Nubian citizens in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) calls for their immediate and unconditional release.
Ten Egyptian Nubian citizens are still facing a difficult time after three years in detention, in violation of their right to peaceful assembly. The men have lived in exile for many years in Saudi Arabia, where they were arrested after they tried to organise a peaceful symposium.
On 10 October 2022, the Specialised Criminal Court held its last hearing to declare the verdict in the trial of ten Egyptian Nubian citizens. Details of the sentences issued are as follows:
- Mohammed Fathallah Jumaa Shater, 37 years, member of the Dahmit Nubian Village Association in Riyadh. He is an IT engineer. Sentenced to 18 years in prison.
- Dr. Farajallah Ahmed Yousif, 64 years, former head of the Nubian community in Riyadh. Sentenced to 16 years in prison.
- Hashim Shater, member of the Dahmit Nubian Village Association in Riyadh. Sentenced to 16 years in prison.
- Adel Sayed Ibrahim Fakir, 65 years, current head of the Nubian community in Riyadh, who is from the village of Ballana in southern Egypt. He is an accountant. Sentenced to 14 years in prison.
As for the remaining six citizens whose names are listed below, they were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 to 12 years:
- Jamal Abdullah Masri, head of the Dahmit Nubian Village Association in Riyadh.
- Ali Jumaa Ali Bahr, 37 years, member of the Dahmit Nubian Village Association in Riyadh.
- Saleh Jumaa Ahmed, member of the Dahmit Nubian Village Association in Riyadh.
- Abdulsalam Juma Ali, member of the Dahmit Nubian Village Association in Riyadh.
- Abdullah Jumaa Ali Bahr, 43 years, President of the Dahmit Nubian Village Association in Riyadh.
- Wael Ahmed Hassan, 54 years, head of the Thomas Nubian Village Association in Riyadh.
The trial lacked the minimum international standards for a fair trial and due process, and led to heavy prison sentences being handed down to the ten Egyptian Nubian citizens, who have been detained since their arrest in July 2020.
On 02 February 2023, the Specialised Criminal Court Appeal Court upheld all the primary sentences after only one hearing.
The ten men are awaiting the outcome of the review by the Supreme Court to whom they sent their final appeal on 27 March 2023. This forms the last judicial avenue available to them to revoke the unjust sentences which they are currently serving.
Background of the case
The Nubian associations attempted to organise a public symposium in October 2019, but they were prevented from doing so and four of them were arrested and detained for two months. During July 2020, the General Directorate of Investigation (Al-Mabahith) arrested the ten Egyptian citizens in Riyadh including the four who were arrested before. The Egyptian government supported the actions of the Saudi authorities.
The allegations against them include the following: supporting a banned political group (the Muslim Brotherhood), spreading false and malicious rumours on social media, especially Facebook, and violating the law by establishing an unlicensed association.
The Nubian associations were established decades ago, and they do not have any political goals, as all their cultural and social activities aim at increasing knowledge among the members of the Nubian community and strengthening their bond with each other, especially while in exile from their mother country, Egypt.
They are all held in the Asir Prison in the city of Abha, the administrative headquarters and capital of the Asir region, except for Hashim Shater who is held in the Al-Hair prison.
For more information on their case, see GCHR’s previous appeal.
GCHR condemns in the strongest terms the continued detention and the unfair trial of the ten Egyptian citizens who were imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for more than a year prior to their trial.
Recommendations
GCHR calls on the Saudi government to:
Immediately and unconditionally release the ten Egyptian Nubian citizens and drop all trumped-up charges against them.
Also, GCHR calls on the Egyptian government to:
Put serious efforts to ensure the safe return of its 10 Nubian citizens who were subjected to show trials based on fabricated charges.
Act now!
Please circulate widely the news regarding the issue of the 10 innocent Egyptian Nubian citizens, and tweet about this urgent move to the UN Special Procedures to request their immediate intervention, as well as tagging the Saudi King.
Contact Information:
- United Nations Special Rapporteurs:
- King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Details
- Updated 15/07/2023
- Published 15/07/2023
- Location saudi-arabia
- Defender Affected Mohammed Fathallah Jumaa Shater, Farajallah Ahmed Yousif, Hashim Shater, Adel Sayed Ibrahim Fakir, Jamal Abdullah Masri, Ali Jumaa Ali Bahr, Saleh Jumaa Ahmed, Abdulsalam Juma Ali, Abdullah Jumaa Ali Bahr, Wael Ahmed Hassan