Additional Name(s): Ali Abu Luhum, علي أبو لحوم
Gender: Male
Current Location: Najran Prison
Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia
Ethnic Group: Arab
Religion or Belief: Unspecified
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Appeal: Rejected
Sentence: 15 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: August/23/2021
Date of Sentencing: October//2021
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Apostasy Blasphemy (General) Blasphemy (Doctrine) Blasphemy (Religious Figures) Expression about Religion Non-Belief Online Activity
Nature of Charges: Apostasy Blasphemy
Ali Aboluhom is imprisoned for apostasy.
On August 23, 2021, authorities arrested Aboluhom, a Yemini journalist working in Saudi Arabia, after he left his home reportedly to meet with his employer. Reporters Without Borders alleges that he was interrogated without having a lawyer present. Human Rights Watch also alleges that Aboluhom was forced into confessing after prosecutors threatened to arrest his wife.
In October 2021, the Najran Criminal Court sentenced Aboluhom to 15 years in prison for allegedly promoting "ideas of apostasy, atheism and blasphemy" on Twitter. Prosecutors reportedly accused Aboluhom of "den[ying] the existence of God; impersonating, doubting, and mocking God, Islam, the Prophet Muhammad, and the day of resurrection; promoting atheism; and publishing and promoting that which prejudices public order, religious values, and public morals on social media."
On December 30, 2021, the Najran Region Appellate Court upheld Aboluhom's sentence.
Aboluhom is married.
USCIRF Tweet May 3, 2022
"Saudi Arabia: Yemeni Man Sentenced for Apostasy" Human Rights Watch
USCIRF Commissioner Nadine Maenza, Tweet, November 18, 2021
"Yemeni journalist in Saudi Arabia gets 15 years for apostasy" Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
"محكمة سعودية تقضي بحبس صحفي يمني 15 عامًا" Yemen News Agency