4 oct 2019
The Prisoners of Conscience Twitter page said that the Saudi authorities transferred senior Hamas official Mohamed al-Khudari, 81, back to Dhahban Central Prison after he spent some days in a hospital.
According to the page, al-Khudari was one of the Palestinian detainees who were exposed to physical torture on the first days of their detention
Some of the detainees also suffered serious health problems and kidney failure because of their exposure to severe torture, the page said.
On September 14, Hamas called on the Saudi authorities to immediately release Khudari, who has been living in Saudi Arabia for over 30 years, and represented the Movement between mid-1990s and 2003 in Saudi Arabia.
He has held other important positions in the Palestinian resistance movement as well.
According to the page, al-Khudari was one of the Palestinian detainees who were exposed to physical torture on the first days of their detention
Some of the detainees also suffered serious health problems and kidney failure because of their exposure to severe torture, the page said.
On September 14, Hamas called on the Saudi authorities to immediately release Khudari, who has been living in Saudi Arabia for over 30 years, and represented the Movement between mid-1990s and 2003 in Saudi Arabia.
He has held other important positions in the Palestinian resistance movement as well.
30 sept 2019
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Bin Salman in Saudi Arabia on 1 June 2019
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has vowed to recognise and normalise trade with Israel if the United States helps him “defeat Iran and take control of the Middle East.”
These statements, which were revealed by a documentary presented by PBS network, on Saturday, in the TV programme Frontline, were made by Bin Salman in a meeting with US President Donald Trump during his famous visit to Riyadh in May 2017.
Martin Smith, the presenter of the documentary, entitled The Crown Prince, said that Mohammad bin Salman wanted Trump to ensure “the United States’ assistance in defeating Iran while supporting the prince’s ambitions to become the key player in the Middle East.”
In return, Bin Salman pledged to help Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in Smith’s words, which was the nucleus of what later formed the US plan to settle the Palestinian issue, known as the “Deal of the Century.”
The documentary featured the Washington Post’s military analyst David Ignatius quoting the Saudi Crown Prince, who stated: “I see a Middle East where Israel is a part of … I am ready to recognise and have trade relations with Israel.”
Ignatius added that Bin Salman’s proposal “tempted the US administration and became the focus of the plan that Kushner keeps on advocating”.
Israeli-Saudi relations have undergone a close rapprochement since the rise of Bin Salman to power, amid reports of a meeting held earlier by Bin Salman, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and other Gulf officials, on a yacht in the Red Sea.
Last June, a Saudi diplomat told Globes that normalising relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would only be “a matter of time”, acknowledging the existence of Secret Israeli-Saudi ties and that Saudi Arabia is using Israeli technologies.
Despite the Saudi diplomat’s assertion of his country’s commitment to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as during Abbas’s recent meeting with King Salman, the latter reiterated his support for the process of hindering any peace paths that may bring detrimental consequences upon the Palestinian leadership. However, the diplomat acknowledged that King Salman and the Crown Prince were putting pressure on Abbas “to take the political and economic developments seriously.”
Although Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al-Jubeir, said that his country is not familiar with the details of the US plan to settle the Palestinian issue, known as the “Deal of the Century”, the Saudi diplomat indicated that the deal has one significant advantage, as “it includes an inclusive economic strategy for the development of the entire region, and especially Palestine”.
Al-Jubeir expressed his country’s readiness to invest large sums in the deal, “which Palestinians did not dream of getting before.” Thus, he promoted for numerous temptations advanced by the US, such as the claim that the money would achieve “real independence, good education, and self-sufficient health and industry sectors for the Palestinians.”
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has vowed to recognise and normalise trade with Israel if the United States helps him “defeat Iran and take control of the Middle East.”
These statements, which were revealed by a documentary presented by PBS network, on Saturday, in the TV programme Frontline, were made by Bin Salman in a meeting with US President Donald Trump during his famous visit to Riyadh in May 2017.
Martin Smith, the presenter of the documentary, entitled The Crown Prince, said that Mohammad bin Salman wanted Trump to ensure “the United States’ assistance in defeating Iran while supporting the prince’s ambitions to become the key player in the Middle East.”
In return, Bin Salman pledged to help Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in Smith’s words, which was the nucleus of what later formed the US plan to settle the Palestinian issue, known as the “Deal of the Century.”
The documentary featured the Washington Post’s military analyst David Ignatius quoting the Saudi Crown Prince, who stated: “I see a Middle East where Israel is a part of … I am ready to recognise and have trade relations with Israel.”
Ignatius added that Bin Salman’s proposal “tempted the US administration and became the focus of the plan that Kushner keeps on advocating”.
Israeli-Saudi relations have undergone a close rapprochement since the rise of Bin Salman to power, amid reports of a meeting held earlier by Bin Salman, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and other Gulf officials, on a yacht in the Red Sea.
Last June, a Saudi diplomat told Globes that normalising relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would only be “a matter of time”, acknowledging the existence of Secret Israeli-Saudi ties and that Saudi Arabia is using Israeli technologies.
Despite the Saudi diplomat’s assertion of his country’s commitment to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as during Abbas’s recent meeting with King Salman, the latter reiterated his support for the process of hindering any peace paths that may bring detrimental consequences upon the Palestinian leadership. However, the diplomat acknowledged that King Salman and the Crown Prince were putting pressure on Abbas “to take the political and economic developments seriously.”
Although Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al-Jubeir, said that his country is not familiar with the details of the US plan to settle the Palestinian issue, known as the “Deal of the Century”, the Saudi diplomat indicated that the deal has one significant advantage, as “it includes an inclusive economic strategy for the development of the entire region, and especially Palestine”.
Al-Jubeir expressed his country’s readiness to invest large sums in the deal, “which Palestinians did not dream of getting before.” Thus, he promoted for numerous temptations advanced by the US, such as the claim that the money would achieve “real independence, good education, and self-sufficient health and industry sectors for the Palestinians.”
28 sept 2019
The Saudi Foreign Minister, Ibrahim Abdul-Aziz al-‘Assaf, stated on September 26th that his country has donated 50.000.000 US Dollars to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for its 2019 budget.
The statement came during his meeting with Pierre Krähenbühl, the Commissioner-General for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.
Al-‘Assaf added that Saudi Arabia is the biggest donor to the UNRWA for its important and vital work in aiding the Palestinian refugees.
The donation matches the one made by Saudi Arabi in the year 2018 and is added to a variety of donations provided by the country to other UNRWA projects, providing help, education, health services, and aid to 5.5 million Palestinian refugees.
On his part, Krähenbühl said that the continued and generous support from Saudi Arabia is of great importance and was also very helpful in rehabilitating dozens of UNRWA schools before the new school year started last year.
Krähenbühl also stated that this continued support enables the UNRWA to guarantee the right of education to 532.000 students, in addition to a variety of other essential services.
The statement came during his meeting with Pierre Krähenbühl, the Commissioner-General for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.
Al-‘Assaf added that Saudi Arabia is the biggest donor to the UNRWA for its important and vital work in aiding the Palestinian refugees.
The donation matches the one made by Saudi Arabi in the year 2018 and is added to a variety of donations provided by the country to other UNRWA projects, providing help, education, health services, and aid to 5.5 million Palestinian refugees.
On his part, Krähenbühl said that the continued and generous support from Saudi Arabia is of great importance and was also very helpful in rehabilitating dozens of UNRWA schools before the new school year started last year.
Krähenbühl also stated that this continued support enables the UNRWA to guarantee the right of education to 532.000 students, in addition to a variety of other essential services.
24 sept 2019
Palestinian and Jordanian detainees being held in Saudi Arabian prisons suffer difficult humanitarian conditions, and are subjected to various types of physical and psychological torture, the Palestinian Association for Human Rights reported.
A witness said that Saudi Arabian security services have waged a wide arrest campaign against dozens of Palestinians and Jordanians who have been residing in the country for decades, on charges of providing financial aid to the families of slain Palestinians and detainees in Gaza, the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.
According to Al Ray, the Association called on Saudi Arabian authorities to immediately release all detainees who were taken into custody without clear charges, and to compensate them for the injustice. It additionally called on international organizations to exert pressure, on Saudi Arabian authorities, in stopping the practice of what are considered to be the most heinous forms of psychological and physical torture.
The Association also called on the president of Palestinian Authority and the King of Jordan to urgently intervene with Saudi authorities in putting an end to this human suffering, and release the detainees.
It explained, in the report, that it lingered over announcing the results of the search, due to lack of information and the reluctance of some detainees’ families to give their testimonies, for fear of punishment measures which might be implemented by the Saudi government.
It additionally published a list of names of detainees held in Saudi Arabian prisons, as well as the status of their detention, noting that the names are the result of long, difficult efforts in searching and documenting.
The Hamas resistance movement revealed, in September, that Saudi Arabian authorities detained Mohammed Saleh Al-Khudaree, one of its leaders and the official in charge of maintaining relations with Reyad and his son, for five months.
It noted, in a statement, that Al-Khudary was arrested, along with his son, as part of a wide-scale arrest campaign against Palestinians residing in Saudi Arabia.
The movement explained that it remained silent for five months, in order to make room for diplomatic contacts and the efforts of mediators, but no results were achieved.
A witness said that Saudi Arabian security services have waged a wide arrest campaign against dozens of Palestinians and Jordanians who have been residing in the country for decades, on charges of providing financial aid to the families of slain Palestinians and detainees in Gaza, the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.
According to Al Ray, the Association called on Saudi Arabian authorities to immediately release all detainees who were taken into custody without clear charges, and to compensate them for the injustice. It additionally called on international organizations to exert pressure, on Saudi Arabian authorities, in stopping the practice of what are considered to be the most heinous forms of psychological and physical torture.
The Association also called on the president of Palestinian Authority and the King of Jordan to urgently intervene with Saudi authorities in putting an end to this human suffering, and release the detainees.
It explained, in the report, that it lingered over announcing the results of the search, due to lack of information and the reluctance of some detainees’ families to give their testimonies, for fear of punishment measures which might be implemented by the Saudi government.
It additionally published a list of names of detainees held in Saudi Arabian prisons, as well as the status of their detention, noting that the names are the result of long, difficult efforts in searching and documenting.
The Hamas resistance movement revealed, in September, that Saudi Arabian authorities detained Mohammed Saleh Al-Khudaree, one of its leaders and the official in charge of maintaining relations with Reyad and his son, for five months.
It noted, in a statement, that Al-Khudary was arrested, along with his son, as part of a wide-scale arrest campaign against Palestinians residing in Saudi Arabia.
The movement explained that it remained silent for five months, in order to make room for diplomatic contacts and the efforts of mediators, but no results were achieved.
21 sept 2019
Abdul-Majed al-Khudari said that his brother Mohamed, the senior Hamas official who were arrested with his son in early April by the Saudi authorities, were exposed to maltreatment and psychological torture for three months in solitary confinement.
In press remarks, Abdul-Majed said that his brother Mohamed has been living in Saudi Arabia for decades and his presence and work for Palestine in the country received approval from the monarchy.
According to the brother, Mohamed was also deprived of seeing his eldest son, Dr. Hani, for months and both of them are being detained with no indictment or trial.
He said that the family had sent a letter to the Saudi King asking him to order the release of Mohamed and his son but received no response yet.
In press remarks, Abdul-Majed said that his brother Mohamed has been living in Saudi Arabia for decades and his presence and work for Palestine in the country received approval from the monarchy.
According to the brother, Mohamed was also deprived of seeing his eldest son, Dr. Hani, for months and both of them are being detained with no indictment or trial.
He said that the family had sent a letter to the Saudi King asking him to order the release of Mohamed and his son but received no response yet.
17 sept 2019
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says one of its officials who has been in Saudi detention for more than five months has been transferred to the hospital because of health complications.
Mohammad Nazal, a member of Hamas’ Political Bureau, said in a tweet early on Tuesday that Muhammad al-Khudari had been transferred by the Saudi authorities from Dhahban Prison in Jeddah to a hospital in Mecca to receive treatment for an unspecified terminal disease.
Last week, Hamas revealed that Saudi authorities had arrested tens of Palestinians, including Khudari, who has been living in Saudi Arabia for over 30 years.
The 81-year-old official represented Hamas in Saudi Arabia between the mid-1990s and 2003. He has held other important positions in the Palestinian resistance movement as well.
Hamas also urged Saudi authorities to release Khudari — who has been held without charge — as well as his son, who has also been detained.
Back on June 3, Lebanese al-Akhbar cited anonymous sources as saying that Saudi officials had been holding dozens of Saudi nationals and Palestinian expatriates in detention for months over affiliation with Hamas. The report said the most prominent figure among those arrested was Khudari.
Al-Akhbar said the Saudi campaign of arrests was coupled with the closure of bank accounts, and a ban on the sending of money from Saudi Arabia to the Gaza Strip.
Saudi Arabia’s repressive measures against the Palestinian resistance movement as well as those seeking to collect donations for people living in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip come as the kingdom and Israel are believed to be planning to publicize their secret ties.
Gaza has been blockaded by the Israeli regime since 2007.
Over the past two years, Saudi authorities have deported more than 100 Palestinians from the kingdom, mostly on charges of supporting Hamas financially, politically, or through social networking sites.
Mohammad Nazal, a member of Hamas’ Political Bureau, said in a tweet early on Tuesday that Muhammad al-Khudari had been transferred by the Saudi authorities from Dhahban Prison in Jeddah to a hospital in Mecca to receive treatment for an unspecified terminal disease.
Last week, Hamas revealed that Saudi authorities had arrested tens of Palestinians, including Khudari, who has been living in Saudi Arabia for over 30 years.
The 81-year-old official represented Hamas in Saudi Arabia between the mid-1990s and 2003. He has held other important positions in the Palestinian resistance movement as well.
Hamas also urged Saudi authorities to release Khudari — who has been held without charge — as well as his son, who has also been detained.
Back on June 3, Lebanese al-Akhbar cited anonymous sources as saying that Saudi officials had been holding dozens of Saudi nationals and Palestinian expatriates in detention for months over affiliation with Hamas. The report said the most prominent figure among those arrested was Khudari.
Al-Akhbar said the Saudi campaign of arrests was coupled with the closure of bank accounts, and a ban on the sending of money from Saudi Arabia to the Gaza Strip.
Saudi Arabia’s repressive measures against the Palestinian resistance movement as well as those seeking to collect donations for people living in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip come as the kingdom and Israel are believed to be planning to publicize their secret ties.
Gaza has been blockaded by the Israeli regime since 2007.
Over the past two years, Saudi authorities have deported more than 100 Palestinians from the kingdom, mostly on charges of supporting Hamas financially, politically, or through social networking sites.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Right Monitor and the International Institute for Rights and Development – Geneva (IRDG) have expressed their deep concern over the Saudi authorities’ illegal detention of dozens of Palestinians and cases of forced disappearance.
This came in a joint statement by Euro-Med and IRDG read during the 42nd ordinary session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva on Monday.
Their statement said that dozens of Palestinians are victims of enforced disappearance in Saudi Arabia, which is a crime under international law.
In early September, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Right Monitor documented the testimonies of 11 Palestinian families whose relatives had been detained or forcibly disappeared in recent months during their stay or visit to Saudi Arabia.
They were isolated from the outside world without specific indictments or without being brought before the competent legal authorities. Also, they were not allowed to communicate with their families or contact their lawyers.
The two organizations underlined that the Saudi Authority has no legal basis for detaining these people without informing their families about their whereabouts.
The human rights groups called on HRC to strongly condemn the abduction and forced disappearance of innocent civilians and to make efforts to ensure their release.
They also called on all international parties to act immediately to save the Palestinians, including the elderly who have been subjected to enforced disappearance in the Kingdom, whose executive authorities have committed a long series of human rights violations.
The groups also urged the UN to open an urgent investigation into such incidents of enforced disappearance in Saudi Arabia and to work on prosecuting those responsible.
This came in a joint statement by Euro-Med and IRDG read during the 42nd ordinary session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva on Monday.
Their statement said that dozens of Palestinians are victims of enforced disappearance in Saudi Arabia, which is a crime under international law.
In early September, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Right Monitor documented the testimonies of 11 Palestinian families whose relatives had been detained or forcibly disappeared in recent months during their stay or visit to Saudi Arabia.
They were isolated from the outside world without specific indictments or without being brought before the competent legal authorities. Also, they were not allowed to communicate with their families or contact their lawyers.
The two organizations underlined that the Saudi Authority has no legal basis for detaining these people without informing their families about their whereabouts.
The human rights groups called on HRC to strongly condemn the abduction and forced disappearance of innocent civilians and to make efforts to ensure their release.
They also called on all international parties to act immediately to save the Palestinians, including the elderly who have been subjected to enforced disappearance in the Kingdom, whose executive authorities have committed a long series of human rights violations.
The groups also urged the UN to open an urgent investigation into such incidents of enforced disappearance in Saudi Arabia and to work on prosecuting those responsible.
16 sept 2019
Imprisoned senior Hamas leader and Saudi Arabian citizen Abu Ubaydah Khayri Hafiz al-Agha
Saudi authorities have reportedly arrested another senior Hamas leader, as the conservative kingdom steps up its crackdown and repressive measures against the Palestinian resistance movement as well as those seeking to collect donations for people living in the impoverished Gaza Strip.
Palestinian political and family sources told Arabic-language al-Khaleej Online news website on Sunday that Saudi officials have detained Saudi Arabian citizen Abu Ubaydah Khayri Hafiz al-Agha – the son of one of the most prominent founders of Hamas, identified as Khayri al-Agha, who died of natural causes in Saudi Arabia in 2014.
The source added that Saudi authorities had put Agha in Dhahban Central Prison, which is a maximum security prison facility located near the Red Sea port city of Jeddah.
The director general of al-Zaytouna Center for Studies and Consultations, Dr. Mohsen Mohammad Saleh, told Khaleej Online that Agha is being kept behind bars for more than a year and a half, without any specific information about the reason for his detention.
Saudi authorities have reportedly arrested another senior Hamas leader, as the conservative kingdom steps up its crackdown and repressive measures against the Palestinian resistance movement as well as those seeking to collect donations for people living in the impoverished Gaza Strip.
Palestinian political and family sources told Arabic-language al-Khaleej Online news website on Sunday that Saudi officials have detained Saudi Arabian citizen Abu Ubaydah Khayri Hafiz al-Agha – the son of one of the most prominent founders of Hamas, identified as Khayri al-Agha, who died of natural causes in Saudi Arabia in 2014.
The source added that Saudi authorities had put Agha in Dhahban Central Prison, which is a maximum security prison facility located near the Red Sea port city of Jeddah.
The director general of al-Zaytouna Center for Studies and Consultations, Dr. Mohsen Mohammad Saleh, told Khaleej Online that Agha is being kept behind bars for more than a year and a half, without any specific information about the reason for his detention.
High-ranking Hamas official Muhammad al-Khudari
On Saturday, Hamas called on Saudi authorities to immediately release its high-ranking official Muhammad al-Khudari, who was detained in the country five months ago without any clear charges.
Khudari, who has been living in Saudi Arabia for over 30 years, represented Hamas between mid-1990s and 2003 in Saudi Arabia. He has held other important positions in the Palestinian resistance movement as well.
Back on June 3, Lebanese Arabic-language daily newspaper al-Akhbar, citing informed sources who requested anonymity, reported that Saudi officials had been holding dozens of Saudi nationals and Palestinian expatriates in detention for months over affiliation to Hamas.
The report added that the most prominent figure among those arrested was Dr. Khudari.
Al-Ahbar went on to say that the campaign of arrests coincided with the closure and tight control of bank accounts, and a ban on sending any money from Saudi Arabia to the Gaza Strip.
Over the past two years, Saudi authorities have deported more than 100 Palestinians from the kingdom, mostly on charges of supporting Hamas financially, politically or through social networking sites.
The Riyadh regime has imposed strict control over Palestinian funds in Saudi Arabia since the end of 2017.
All remittances of Palestinian expatriates are being tightly controlled, under the pretext that these funds could be diverted indirectly and through other countries to Hamas.
Money transfer offices are asking the Palestinians to bring forward strong arguments for conversion, and do not allow the ceiling of one’s money transfer to exceed $3,000.
On Saturday, Hamas called on Saudi authorities to immediately release its high-ranking official Muhammad al-Khudari, who was detained in the country five months ago without any clear charges.
Khudari, who has been living in Saudi Arabia for over 30 years, represented Hamas between mid-1990s and 2003 in Saudi Arabia. He has held other important positions in the Palestinian resistance movement as well.
Back on June 3, Lebanese Arabic-language daily newspaper al-Akhbar, citing informed sources who requested anonymity, reported that Saudi officials had been holding dozens of Saudi nationals and Palestinian expatriates in detention for months over affiliation to Hamas.
The report added that the most prominent figure among those arrested was Dr. Khudari.
Al-Ahbar went on to say that the campaign of arrests coincided with the closure and tight control of bank accounts, and a ban on sending any money from Saudi Arabia to the Gaza Strip.
Over the past two years, Saudi authorities have deported more than 100 Palestinians from the kingdom, mostly on charges of supporting Hamas financially, politically or through social networking sites.
The Riyadh regime has imposed strict control over Palestinian funds in Saudi Arabia since the end of 2017.
All remittances of Palestinian expatriates are being tightly controlled, under the pretext that these funds could be diverted indirectly and through other countries to Hamas.
Money transfer offices are asking the Palestinians to bring forward strong arguments for conversion, and do not allow the ceiling of one’s money transfer to exceed $3,000.