Our letter to Saudi authorities protesting the ongoing incarceration of Prof. Awad al-Qarni, the well-known reformist cleric and legal scholar, as well as Dr. Salman al-Audah, Ali al-Omari and Hassan al-Maliki, and calling for their immediate release. We oppose, as well, the prosecutor's request that Prof. al-Qarni be sentenced to death.
Letter to Saudi officials regarding the sentencing of University of Leeds PhD student Salma al-Shehab to 34 years in prison.
Letter to Saudi authorities expressing concern about the reported dismissals of Yemeni scholars, physicians and other professionals from their positions at universities in the southern provinces of al-Baha, Asir, Jazan and Najran.
Letter to Saudi authorities regarding the ongoing imprisonment without due process of Salman Alodah, a religious scholar of international renown and advocate for political reform and human rights in Saudi Arabia.
Letter to Saudi authorities protesting the death in custody and after medical negligence of scholar, rights advocate, and political detainee Dr. Abdullah al-Hamid.
MESA is very pleased to report that Dr. Hatoon al-Fassi was released from prison in Saudi Arabia on May 2, 2019, and has been allowed to return home to her family. Dr. al-Fassi is a renowned historian of women in pre-Islamic Arabia, a prominent advocate for women's rights, and a long-time member of MESA. She was the recipient in November 2018, in absentia, of the MESA Academic Freedom Award, the highest recognition MESA can bestow in acknowledgement of contributions to academic freedom. Dr. al-Fassi's release has been characterized as "temporary;" we continue to call for her full exoneration. We call, as well, for the release of the other women's rights advocates who remain in detention.
More than 200 scholars and personalities from around the world have signed a letter written to the king and crown prince of Saudi Arabia on behalf of renowned Saudi scholar, writer and women’s rights advocate Hatoon al-Fassi. She has been detained and held in solitary confinement in the kingdom since June 21, 2018. The letter calls upon the Saudi government to release Dr. al-Fassi and to allow her to continue her important work. MESA's Committee on Academic Freedom wrote a letter to protest her arrest (dated 3 July 2018) and MESA awarded Dr. al-Fassi the 2018 Academic Freedom Award.
2018 MESA Academic Freedom Award given to Saudi scholar, writer, and women's rights advocate, Dr. Hatoon Ajwad Al Fassi
Letter to Saudi authorities regarding the decision to withdraw all Saudi students from Canada by 31 August 2018 as a result of the diplomatic dispute between the two countries.
Letter to Saudi authorities regarding the arrest of renowned scholar and women’s rights activist, Dr. Hatoon Ajwad al-Fassi on the eve of the lifting of the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia.
Letter to Saudi Arabia's Minister of the Interior HRH Prince Mohammad bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud expressing concern regarding the politically motivated charges and conviction of Economics Professor and Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) co-founder Mohamed Fahad al-Qahtani.
Letter regarding the imprisonment of professors Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Shamiri and Dr. Musa Al Qarni, who were arrested, detained, maltreated, tried, and convicted on false and politically motivated charges.
Letter to King Faisal University President and College of Medicine Dean, Bahrain Minister of Higher Education, and Saudi Minister of Higher Education regarding the sustained interruption of study for four medical students at King Faisal University in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Letter to HRH Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud regarding the arrest and detention of Professor Matrook Al-Faleh.
Letter to His Majesty Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud regarding restrictions on multiple Saudi academics.
Letter to Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud regarding the sentencing of Matrouk Al-Faleh.
Letter to Prince Nayif bin Abd al-Aziz regarding arrests of professors, requesting independence from the National Committee on Human Rights.
Letter to Saudi authorities to express concern over the convictions and sentencing of academics to 15 years in prison for an alleged attack on a security officer.
Letter to the Saudi Ministry of the Interior over the arrest of professors Dr. Abdullah al-Hamed and Dr. Muhsin al-‘Awaji by the general intelligence agency as a result of their writings expressing political opinions.
Letter to the Saudi Arabian Government expressing continued concern over treatment of members of the Committee for the Defense of Legitimate Rights as further academics with ties to this group have been arrested without criminal charges and are being held without visit or access to council. Additionally relatives of group members are now being targeted despite having no ties to the group solely as a means of pressuring activists to cease activities. (See 5/5/1994; 22/6/1993)
Letter to the Saudi Arabian government regarding further measures taken against members of the Committee for the Defense of Legitimate Rights after the dissolution of the group including dismissals from university posts, travel bans, imprisonment and reports of death threat and torture forcing many group members to flee the country. (See 22/6/1993)
Letter to His Royal Majesty of Saudi Arabia concerning the reported arrest of Dr. Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Mas’ari and dismissals of Dr. Abdullah ibn Humoud al-Tuwaijri and Dr. Abdullah al-Hamed for membership in the Committee for the Defense of Legitimate Rights.
Letter to His Royal Majesty of Saudi Arabia regarding reports that six female professors of the University of Riyadh were dismissed for participating in demonstration protesting restraints on driving for women. If true, this dismissal is a serious breach of human rights and academic freedom as the right to participate in a non-violent protest is protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.