Urgent Action Outcome: Abdulaziz Al-Shubaily Conditionally Released

On 13 July 2025, Saudi human rights defender and prisoner of conscience Abdulaziz al-Shubaily was conditionally released from prison after serving an eight-year prison sentence. Abdulaziz al-Shubaily was sentenced by the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) on 29 May 2016 following an unfair trial. Abdulaziz al-Shubaily was a founding member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA). Before it was disbanded, ACPRA was one of Saudi Arabia’s few independent human rights organizations. Abdulaziz al-Shubaily is subject to an eight-year travel ban and a ban on using social media.

NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUESTED. MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO SENT APPEALS.

On 13 July 2025, Saudi human rights defender and prisoner of conscience Abdulaziz al-Shubaily was conditionally released from prison after serving an eight-year prison sentence. He is now subject to an eight-year travel ban and a ban on using social media.

Abdulaziz al-Shubaily was detained on 17 September 2017, following years of legal proceedings related to his activism. On 29 May 2016, the SCC handed Abdulaziz al-Shubaily an eight-year prison sentence following an unfair trial. The SCC also imposed an eight-year travel ban and a ban on using social media as part of his sentence.

The SCC convicted him of, among other charges, “insulting the integrity of the judicial system and the judges”, “violating Article 6 of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law” by “inciting public opinion against the rulers of this country and signing statements that were published online that call on people to demonstrate” and “insisting to not abide by the judicial decision to abolish ACPRA”. Abdulaziz al-Shubaily was also ordered to sign a pledge to not return to his activism.

Abdulaziz al-Shubaily was formally charged with several offenses in July 2014. In March 2015, he was charged additionally with “communicating with foreign organizations” and for providing information to Amnesty International for use in two of its reports. 

Members of ACPRA have been extensively targeted by the Saudi authorities over the past decade. Abdulaziz al-Shubaily acted as the legal representative of nine of the 11 members of ACPRA who have faced prosecution since December 2012. ACPRA reported on human rights violations and helped families of detainees held without charge to bring cases against the Ministry of Interior before the Board of Grievances, an administrative court with jurisdiction to consider complaints against the state and its public services.