Key facts
- British business analyst Ahmed Al-Doush has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia since August 2024.
- He was reportedly convicted over social media posts made several years ago.
- His sentence was reduced from 10 years to five years on appeal.
- His wife states his physical and mental health are deteriorating.
- Human rights groups and the UN have called for his release, deeming his detention arbitrary.
Amaher Nour, wife of British business analyst Ahmed Al-Doush, has made an emotional appeal for his release from a Saudi Arabian prison, describing his detention as a 'nightmare'. Al-Doush, from Manchester, has been jailed since August 2024, reportedly over social media posts from several years prior. His wife has not seen him in nearly two years, and their four children frequently ask about their father.
Al-Doush was arrested at Riyadh airport while returning home with his pregnant wife and three children. According to Amnesty International, he was convicted in an unfair trial on charges that violate his right to freedom of expression. His legal team in the UK has been denied access to any legal papers related to his case. His lawyer, Haydee Dijkstal, believes he was questioned over deleted tweets from 2018 concerning Sudan and an acquaintance of a UK-based Saudi dissident.
Initially held for five months without charge, Al-Doush was sentenced in May 2025 by Saudi Arabia's Specialised Criminal Court to 10 years for using social media to spread fake news against the government. Human rights groups criticize this court for using vague counterterrorism and cybercrime laws to punish online expression. In April, his sentence was reduced to five years on appeal, but his wife reports his physical and mental health are deteriorating. He is reportedly held in an overcrowded cell and warned against discussing his health or legal case.
The UK Foreign Office has stated that Al-Doush's case has been raised with Saudi authorities, whose travel advice warns that public comments deemed 'disruptive to public order' or perceived as a threat to national security can lead to long custodial sentences, even for past social media activity. The Saudi embassy in London has not commented. However, Saudi authorities told the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) that Al-Doush had committed terrorist crimes. UNWGAD experts concluded in March that his detention was arbitrary and called for his release, noting a lack of evidence that he posed a violent threat.
Nour has directly appealed to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for clemency on humanitarian grounds, emphasizing Al-Doush's role as a loving father and the void his absence has created. She urges the UK government to recognize the UN's findings and support the clemency request.