A French national arrested more than a year ago for not having a valid permit for the Hajj should have a fair trial and attention for his health needs, ALQST for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch said today. Held in incommunicado detention for over four months, the next session of his trial for visa permit violations and charges related to free expression is awaiting a date. Saudi Arabia's allies, particularly the French government, should send monitors to observe upcoming trial hearings.
Mr. Abdelfattah, a father of three, identified only by his surname to protect his privacy, was stopped by security officials on June 16, 2024, while taking part in the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, and was asked to show his Hajj permit. The authorities discovered that his permit was invalid after he had unknowingly fallen victim to a visa scam, a common occurrence that the authorities are trying to address. Abdelfattah was initially detained at the Haram police station and transferred the following day to Dhahban Prison near Jeddah, ALQST reported.
At the time of his arrest, the penalty for unauthorised Hajj pilgrims was a fine of 10,000 Riyals (approximately 2,000 GBP) and deportation. Similar penalties were announced for the 2025 (1446 AH) Hajj season. Yet he was arbitrarily detained for more than 11 months and then put on trial, beginning in May 2025, for both visa irregularities and charges relating to peaceful free expression.
Earlier in 2025, the authorities told him he could expect to be released before Eid al-Adha at the end of May, but instead he was put on trial in the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC), Saudi Arabia's notorious terrorism court, on charges of "illegal entry to Mecca," "insulting the government," and "praising prosecuted individuals."
During his time in custody he has been subjected to alleged ill-treatment and torture by prison guards and security officers, including beatings, solitary confinement, death threats, and being slammed against a wall, ALQST reported. He sustained injuries as a result of his ill-treatment and suffered a serious decline in his health, yet authorities have denied him essential medical care.
