Matrook Al-Faleh Freed

Matrook al-Faleh has been released from jail earlier today. Al-Faleh was arrested last May in Riyadh after criticizing the poor situation of Buraida General Prison where his fellow activist Abdullah al-Hamed was jailed until last September after he completed a six-month sentence there. Al-Faleh, a political science professor at KSU, was put in solitary confinement for the whole period, he had no access to a lawyer, and no accusations were officially made against him.

It is good to see Matrook al-Faleh free again and back to his family and friends, and I certainly hope other jailed prisoners of conscience will be released soon.

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13 Comments

  1. Posted Saturday, January 10, 2009 at 20:23 | Permalink | Reply

    I’m glad to hear he’s free, but what about other and future baseless arrests?

  2. Posted Saturday, January 10, 2009 at 21:24 | Permalink | Reply

    Glad to know that ..

    thank you ahmad for informing us : )

  3. Andrew
    Posted Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 2:30 | Permalink | Reply

    This is excellent news.

    I hope that he is not permanently or seriously harmed from this awful experience.

  4. Mohamed S.
    Posted Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 2:52 | Permalink | Reply

    If I were a bettin man I’d either bet he doesn’t criticize anymore or he keeps on criticizing and ends up in a revolving door prison situation.

  5. Posted Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 4:34 | Permalink | Reply

    How horrible! How inhuman! And for such a long time! It’s torture, for him and his family!

    I’m glad he’s out, but worried for the state he could be in now.

  6. jaffar
    Posted Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 13:08 | Permalink | Reply

    I’m glad they released him …i hope it’s not a deal for shutting him up,,,

    I wish freedom for all our forgotten prisoners who spent most of their lives in jail far away from their beloved ones…

  7. Posted Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 16:29 | Permalink | Reply

    Jail is made for those who break the law, speeches/criticism however they vary don’t break the law, a man shouldn’t be put in jail for his opinion or speech, I guess everyone is glad of Dr. Matrook’s release, but the best is yet to come, all alike prisoners must be freed immediately, and let no more contempt inside their hearts, we want to move forward.

    “But, spite of all the criticizing elves, Those who would make us feel, must feel themselves.” – Charles Churchill

  8. Sparky
    Posted Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 19:20 | Permalink | Reply

    Glad he is out.

    Hope there is no gag order on him…We want to hear about more of what he has to say! I do at least. Change won’t happen until one recognizes the need for it. Drawing attention to the need for better and more humane treatment of human rights prisoners is certainly a noble observation but an ironic one to be jailed for…………………………………………..

  9. Linguist
    Posted Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 22:05 | Permalink | Reply

    I am so happy to hear that; yet, it is indeed sadening how limit is freedom of speech in Saudi Arabia. I can not imagine how such an educated professor at the largest school in the country and an activist in human rights got arrested carelessly. Anyhow, what is coming is more important, I hope he does not get fired of his job or other positions he is on, if he has any.

  10. Posted Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 23:10 | Permalink | Reply

    Who issues the arrest orders in Saudi Arabia? any idea?

    we always hear the news in the passive tense. was arrested, was freed, was allowed etc..

  11. heraish
    Posted Monday, January 12, 2009 at 0:34 | Permalink | Reply

    Naif orders the arrests of activists.

  12. Nuha
    Posted Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 2:41 | Permalink | Reply

    I am happy to hear that…I was criticizing the Saudis for not going out in demonstrations for what’s going on in Gaza…but it seems that the Saudi people sitaution is really dark.

    Inshallah things will be better.Ameen.

  13. Xan
    Posted Sunday, February 22, 2009 at 6:21 | Permalink | Reply

    Who is a naif?

2 Trackbacks

  1. By Saudi Activist Freed from Jail | Crossroads Arabia on Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 18:16

    [...] online magazine carries this piece. Saudi Jeans offers his comments as well. Saudi authorities release activist jailed in [...]

  2. [...] Saudi Arabia is one of the worst places on earth to be a blogger. Or a woman. Or a lawyer. Or a human rights activist. Or just someone looking for a [...]

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