Additional Name(s): محمد الربيعة

Gender: Male

Current Location: Dhahban Prison, Jeddah

Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia

Ethnic Group: Arab

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sunni

Reports of Torture: Yes

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Increased to 17 Years' Imprisonment

Sentence: Originally 6 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: May/15/2018

Date of Sentencing: April/20/2021

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Resisting State-Imposed Religious Systems Women’s Rights

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

Mohammed al-Rabiah

Extra Bio Info:

Mohammed al-Rabiah is imprisoned for his activism against state imposed religious systems.

On May 15, 2018, authorities arrested al-Rabiah amid a statewide crackdown on women's rights activists.  Al-Rabiah was known for his activism in support of women's ability to drive and opposition to the guardianship system. Following his arrest, al-Rabiah was reportedly subjected to various kinds of torture, including electrocution, waterboarding, beatings, confinement to inhumanely small spaces, and starvation.

After three years of detention, al-Rabiah was reportedly charged with "striving to destabilize the social fabric and weaken national cohesion and community cohesion," "communicating with others with the intent of disturbing the security and stability of the nation," and "writing and publishing a book containing suspicious instructions."  Prosecutors were reportedly seeking 25 years in prison under Article 6 of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law and Articles 53 and 55 of the Law on Combating and Financing Terrorism Crimes.

On March 21, 2021, al-Rabiah's case was transferred to the Specialized Criminal Court.

On April 20, 2021, al-Rabiah was sentenced to six years in prison.

In October 2022, it was reported that the Specialized Criminal Court retried al-Rabiah, despite him completing his sentence. 

In December 2022, it was reported that al-Rabiah was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

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