DATE  : 24 / 2 / 1999

NO  : 80 / H / 99

 

Arabian Peninsula:

Arrests, Confiscation of Passports and a Ban on Traveling

 

    The Saudi Regime within its massive campaign against Ulama and religious scholars , educated and religious activities who had not reacted to the Regime's pressure and exercises, arrested on 19/ 2/ 1999 in a surprised action one of the great litterateurs and activists on both educated and religious levels. He and his family didn't know the reasons of the arrest.

 

That citizen Abdil Khaliq al-Janbi, aged 34 years old, from al-Qatif city (al-Qadinh Village) was arrested by the members al-Mabahith al-`Amma and then deported immediately to the headquarter of al-Mabahith al-`Amma in Reyadh.

 

   It is worth mentioning that al-Janbi (disabled with one leg) was arrested previously in 1992 by al-Mabahith al-`Amma when the was a student at the University of King Abdul Aziz in Jeddah, due to logical debate with one of the professors of the university when the latter insulted the faiths and practices of Shiim. Al-Janbi and his colleague Tirki al-Tirki have been tortured severely on the hands of the members of al-Mabahith al-`Amma and accused of cursing Allah and the prophet , a charge which is fabricated by the Regime against anyone whom it wants to get rid of him because of political and sectarian reasons. The Regime had tried at that time to execute them, except for the public reaction and pressure by a group of religious scholars and jurists.

 

On other level, the few last days witnessed a campaign of confiscation of many scholars' passports against who have arrived recently from abroad where they were pursuing their studies according to the Shi'i sect , among these scholars are:

 

1 . Sayyid Hassan Mohammad al-Yousif aged 32 , from Ihsaa (al-Mubarraz town) .

2 . Sheikh Moammal al-Mo'amin, aged 23 yers old, from al-Dammam.

3 . Sheikh Ahmad Abdul Reza al-Muhanna , aged 22 years old , from al-Dammam .

There are scores of religious scholars and thousands of citizens are still banned of traveling abroad.

It is note worth that Saudi regime prevents Shi'a adherents to travel abroad to pursue their studies and also prevents them to establish religious schools , institutes and universities inside the country.

As we present a part of tragedies and exercises which are contrary to the Islamic and human laws and norms , we call upon all human rights organizations to exert pressure on Saudi regime and ask it do avoid violating the rights of citizens and scholars and to end the use of the sectarian discrimination and religious persecution and to release immediately the scholars and thousands of citizens who are still held in Saudi prisons for many years.