As families across the UK celebrate Father's Day on June 15, British national Ahmed al-Doush will have a scheduled appeal hearing to review his ten-year prison sentence in Saudi Arabia.

Manchester-based Ahmed was sentenced to ten years in prison last month on May 10, 2025. His family and UK legal team understand that he was tried and convicted under terrorism legislation for social media posts and for associating with an individual critical of the Saudi government.

However, the trial has been marred by a lack of transparency regarding the exact charges and evidence, even to the UK government. Information indicates that he is being tried for exercising his right to free expression and has faced multiple violations of his fair trial rights.

Ahmed, a senior business analyst with Bank of America, was arrested while on a family holiday in August 2024. His domestic lawyer in Saudi Arabia has refused to share details of the charges and evidence nor provided a copy of the judgment and sentence to Ahmed’s family or UK legal team. At the time of arrest, his wife, Amaher, was in the late stages of pregnancy, meaning Ahmed missed the birth of his fourth child.

Ahmed has faced numerous violations of his fair trial rights following his arrest. He has been subjected to extensive interrogation without legal representation, where he was forced to sign a statement before being informed of the charges against him. For over two and a half months after he was first detained, his family had no contact with him and received no information about his condition or the reasons for his detention. He was also denied consular access. Since then, contact with his family and UK-based legal team has been severely restricted, and he has been threatened with losing access to communication with them if he tries to disclose anything regarding his trial, proceedings, treatment, or health.

Haydee Dijkstal, Barrister at 33 Bedford Row Chambers and counsel for Ahmed Al-Doush, stated: “The UK government must demand answers and clarity on a process that has been marked by a lack of transparency, even to the UK government regarding its own citizen. It should take a strong stand against a British national’s imprisonment for ten years for allegedly exercising his right to free expression. This is essential to fully protect a British national’s rights, as well as the rights of his wife and four British children living in the UK who have been thrown into an unexpected and incomprehensible nightmare.”

Amaher Al-Doush, wife of Ahmed, expressed her feelings: “Frankly, I have no faith in the Saudi government to deliver justice in the appeal. I’m completely disillusioned with both the Saudi and UK governments on every level. The children have been making Father’s Day cards at school, at a time when other families are celebrating it’s incredibly painful for them, especially as we prepare to mark Eid without their father once again. They’re really struggling.

“I’m exhausted too. The pressure is relentless, not just emotionally, but physically and mentally. Honestly, I’m so overwhelmed that I struggle to even speak about it anymore. At the heart of it all, what matters most is that my husband, the father of my children, is still not home. None of the efforts so far have brought him back.”

Eilidh Macpherson, Campaigns Manager for Individuals at Risk at Amnesty International UK, said: “We reiterate our urgent call on the Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ahmed Al-Doush if he is being held solely for peacefully exercising his human rights. He must be allowed to return to his family in the UK without delay. In the meantime, Saudi authorities must uphold his fair trial rights, promptly share his court documents, and guarantee regular access to both his family and legal counsel.

"We also urge the UK government to take all necessary steps to secure his immediate and unconditional release. The arbitrary detention of another British national abroad cannot be tolerated. Immediate and decisive action is essential.”

ENDS

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