Date: 23/04/997

No.: 65/H/97

The Eastern Arabian Peninsula Witnesses

 Detention of Notable Scholar

   On the last few days, the Saudi authorities arrested Hejetoleslam Sheikh Hassan Ali al-Shaqqaq (al-Razi) a 45 –year- old ,a scholar from al-Taraf village of al-Ahsa. He  is considered one of the most prominent scholars in Arabian peninsula.

   It is worth mentioning that the Saudi regime during the last week arrested more than four notable scholars in the Eastern Arabian Peninsula within the framework of its policy which aims to empty the country from the scholars.

   The Saudi regime’s plan aims to decrease the role of the religion and believers in the society and to support the secular personalities and others who have unreligious trends.

   The Saudi authorities during the last months used some pretexts to besiege the freedoms and the religious activities on the pretext of protecting the security and the stability of the country , and to make reprisals on the scholars and the believers.

   We repeat our call on the humanitarian bodies all over the world to perform their humanitarian duties to save the people of Arabian peninsula whose human rights are violated every day and the religious freedoms are plundered on the pretext of protecting Islam, while the hundreds of people are still held inside the Saudi cells subjecting to all kinds of torture on the pretext of protecting the security and the stability of the country.

   We also call on them to exert pressure on the Regime to release all the detainees.