Additional Name(s): محمد بن حسن الحبيب

Gender: Male

Current Location: Mabahith Prison, Dammam

Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia

Ethnic Group: Arab

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Shi'a

Reports of Torture: Yes

Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes

Appeal: Rejected

Sentence: 7 Years' Imprisonment + 5 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: July/8/2016

Date of Sentencing: August/26/2019

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: Yes

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Civil Rights Work for Religious Communities Criticizing Religious Freedom Conditions Giving, Sharing, & Listening to a Religious Speech Online Activity Possession of Religious Materials Religious Activity Religious Figure & Religious Leadership Role Religious Identity

Nature of Charges: Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials Terrorism Treason & Sedition

Mohammad bin Hassan al-Habib

Extra Bio Info:

Mohammad bin Hassan al-Habib is imprisoned for for his religious identity, religious leadership role, and criticism of state-sponsored religious discrimination.

On July 8, 2016, authorities detained al-Habib, a cleric, as he tried to cross the Khafji Border Crossing into Kuwait. He was then taken to Mabahith Prison in Dammam where he was placed in solitary confinement.  After being detained, he was reportedly held incommunicado for four months, denied access to a lawyer, and tortured. 

On October 27, 2016, al-Habib appeared for his first hearing in front of the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) in Riyadh where he learned he had been charged in violation of a pledge he made in 2012 not to give sermons considered objectionable.  At the time, authorities forced him to sign the pledge after arresting him for sermons he gave, condemning religious hatred toward the Shi'a community and calling on the government to end sectarianism. 

On July 10, 2017, al-Habib was found not guilty of violating the pledge; however, the appeals branch of the SCC overturned that decision and sentenced him to seven years in prison for "sectarianism" and "calling people to sedition" under Royal Decree No. 44.

On April 30, 2018, al-Habib faced new charges, including “endeavoring to shake the societal fabric and national unity by supporting protests inciting riots in Al-Qatif Governorate,” “attempting to leave Saudi Arabia for Kuwait irregularly,” and “violating the Anti-Cybercrime Law.” One of the charges reportedly stemmed from a picture of an executed Shi'a cleric being found on an electronic device seized during a police raid of al-Habib's home in July 2016.

On August 26, 2019, the SCC, invoking Article 6 of the Anti-Cybercrime Law, sentenced al-Habib to an additional five years in prison and imposed a five-year travel ban after he is released.  This ruling was then upheld on December 15, 2019.  An appeal has reportedly been made to the Supreme Court. 

Recent reporting indicates that al-Habib's health has deteriorated greatly due to mistreatment and medical neglect by prison authorities.

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