The youth Amjad Naji Al Moebid (born on 1st March 1993),faces the threat of execution, after the supreme court approved the death penalty sentence against him. Along with Amjad, other detainees have also had their death sentences approved, including Youssif Al-Moshikhes and the three minors: Ali Al-Nemer, Dawoud Al-Marhoun, and Abdullah Al-Zaher, all of whom face the threat of execution at any time.
After finishing high school, Amjad joined technical college. He was known for his social and sports activity in Tarut city, in Al-Qatif, located in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Amjad participated in protests that started in the area in February 2011, which called for reforms for various demands, such as the release of political detainees and securing some basic civil and political rights.
On 17th July 2013, Amjad was subjected to enforced disappearance. During which he was seized by men dressed in civilian attire, who descended into a retail store in which he was present. After battering him and taking his photo, they then took him to an unknown location.
A week after his disappearance, Al Moeibid called his family in a brief call that did not exceed 2 minutes, during which he informed them that he is in the General Directorate prison in Al-Dammam. Following that call, that there was no communication with him for three and a half months.
During his first family prison visit that commenced when he was let out of solitary confinement, his family noticed remarkable weight loss and marks of torture on his body as a result of being subjected to severe battering and electrocution.
After being detained for over 8 months, his case was transferred to the Specialized Criminal court (SCC) in Riyadh, in which the general prosecutor presented a list of charges, some of which were based on confessions that were extracted under torture. These charges included: rioting and declaring war against the ruler, firing gunshots, and burning Al-Qatif court and attacking Tarut police and shooting at security forces.
On 8th December 2015, the judge sentenced him to death via ‘Tazir’ (discretionary punishment) , and on 16th March 2016, the supreme court approved the sentence, which now means that the execution of Amjad can be implemented at any time.
The European Saudi organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR) asserts that the approval of the death sentence of Amjad Al Moeibid and the exhaustion of any further legal barriers mean that Amjad’s life is in imminent danger, as there now remains no procedural obstacle between his death and it’s implementation by the Saudi government. The organisation also highlights that many of the trials at the SCC, which ESOHR monitored, were used to target Human rights defenders and detainees who exercised freedom of expression or opinion. Furthermore, such trials lacked many important and fundamental conditions for a fair trial, and in a number of cases, many judges also ignore complaints and fail to investigate torture complaints, which are submitted by the detainees legal representatives.
The European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR) demands Saudi Arabia to immediately release Amjad Al Moeibid, and calls for a re-trial in accordance with international norms relating to the principles and conditions fair trial.
ESOHR also calls on the authorities to investigate his allegations of torture. Any failing to investigate his torture will highlight the deficiency and presence of deep flaws in the justice system, as well as systematic support to the policy of impunity.