On 23/01/2012, the Saudi authority arrested Zaher Abdullah Alzaher. Prior to the arresting, Alzaher received a notice from the Qatif investigation department and accordingly he went voluntarily, where he was arrested after the investigation and then transferred to the General Directorate of Investigation prison in Dammam and held to this day.
Alzaher was born in 1984, married and has an 8 years old son Abdullah. He was working as a school health supervisor at Royal Commission in Jubail. Alzaher is a well-known social activist and participated in many social, cultural and religious. He was also a media activist through “Awamphoto” website where he was working with the human right activist Fadel Manasif (currently jailed), documenting varies events . .
وفي مجال عمله، كان يحرص على ممارسة دور فاعل، فكان ممن يعد الحملات الطبية التعليمية في مدارس مدينة الجبيل الصناعية – شرق المملكة العربية السعودية، كما يشارك سنوياً في حملات التوعية الصحية.
In regard to the Qatif anti-regime demonstration, since 17/02/2011 up to now, Alzhare was arrested and mainly accused with providing a medical aid to wanted people by Saudi authority plus being active in the media and participating peaceful protest in Qatif.
Alzhare Spent the first period of his detention in solitary confinement for nearly four months, and has been to investigation accompanied by physical and psychological torture, such as beating in various parts of the body, slapped and punching in the face, total isolation from the outside world, no access to telephone, ban family’s visit, and verbal and moral abuse as religious insults.
Symptoms of these actions have been reflected negatively on Alzhare’s physically and psychologically. Due to frequent and continues slapping on his left ear, he is suffering from ear infection and also suffering from visual disabilities due to long stays in inappropriate lighting.
It is been 639 days since Alzaher was arrested and just today was his first trail in the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh, which handles terrorism and national threat cases.
Based on the circumstance of Alzaher’s case, the Saudi authority is violating Article 114 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Saudi Arabia which states “the detention shall end with the passage of five days, unless the investigator sees fit to extend the detention period. In that case, he shall, prior to expiry of that period, refer the file to the chairman of the branch of Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution in the relevant province so that he may issue an order for extending the period of the detention for a period or successive periods provided that they do not exceed in their aggregate forty days from the date of arrest, or otherwise release the accused. In the cases that require detention for a longer period, the matter shall be referred to the Director of the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution to issue an order that the arrest be extended for a period or successive periods none of which shall exceed thirty days and their aggregate shall not exceed six months from the date of arrest of the accused, Thereafter, the accused shall be directly transferred to the competent court, or be released” .
وقد أدانت منظمة العفو الدولية في وقت سابق إعتقال النشطاء في تقرير لها تحت عنوان: (خنق أصوات المعارضين في المنطقة الشرقية) ، وتناولت وسائل الإعلام المحلية، خبرإعتقال زاهر .
تقرير بعنوان: (الناصفة في عيون الأطفال) تقديم: زاهر آل زاهر، تصوير ومونتاج: فاضل المناسف http://awamphoto.net/index.php?show=news&action=article&id=1526
[2] تقرير منظمة العفو: خنق أصوات المعارضين في المنطقة الشرقية http://www.amnesty.org/ar/library/asset/MDE23/011/2012/en/262d7800-5032-4a9f-880f-31dc8f337a90/mde230112012ar.pdf