Latest news with #Ahmedal-Doush
Toronto Sun
14-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
British banking analyst jailed 10 years in Saudi Arabia over 'unknown tweet'
Published May 14, 2025 • 2 minute read A sign is posted in front of a Bank of America office on July 18, 2023 in Daly City, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A British Bank of America analyst has been sentenced to a decade in a Saudi Arabian prison apparently over a since-deleted social media post, according to his lawyer. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The family of Ahmed al-Doush, 41, believes the charges against him stemmed from a deleted 2018 tweet about Sudan that did not mention Saudi Arabia and his relationship with the son of a Saudi critic in exile, Amnesty International said in a statement Tuesday. The father-of-four was sentenced Monday after being accused of violating terrorism and anti-cyber crime laws. 'The exact tweet is unknown,' Haydee Dijkstal, al-Doush's international counsel, posted Tuesday on X. 'His trial and detention involved fair trial and due process violations.' The lawyer said the U.K. government 'should stand firmly against a British national's imprisonment for allegedly exercising his free speech rights.' The Saudi Arabian government did not respond to requests for comment. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudi Arabia and are in contact with his family and local authorities,' a spokesperson for the Foreign Office in London said in a statement. Al-Doush, a British national, was arrested in August 2024 at a Riyadh airport where he was waiting for a flight to Manchester, England, with his family following a holiday. His wife has since given birth to their fourth child. 'I rarely speak to my husband, but in the few snatched conversations we have managed, it is clear that Ahmed is struggling,' al-Doush's wife, Amaher Nour, said ahead of her husband's sentencing, citing his thyroid problems and distress after nine months of detention. The developments came while U.S. President Donald Trump was in Saudi Arabia, where several dual nationals with Western ties and Saudis have been detained in recent years over social media posts that could be viewed as critical to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country's de facto ruler. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In 2021, a Saudi-American dual national was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison by Saudi Arabia on terrorism-related charges stemming from tweets. Saad Almadi, now 75, was jailed in connection with tweets he had posted over the past several years in the U.S. He was released in 2023 but has been banned from leaving the kingdom. On Wednesday, the kingdom's foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud was asked during a press conference if Almadi's case had been discussed during Trump's trip. 'We obviously have robust conversations with our U.S. partners about a number of issues,' Prince Faisal said, without directly commenting on Almadi. He added that Saudi Arabia 'will always, you know, welcome those conversations.' Celebrity Columnists Sunshine Girls NHL Editorials
NDTV
14-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Bank Of America Analyst Gets 10-Year Jail In Saudi Arabia For Old Tweet: Entire Case Explained
A British senior business analyst and father of four, formerly with Bank of America, has been sentenced to 10 years in a Saudi prison over a single 2018 tweet. Ahmed al-Doush, 41, received the harsh penalty after Saudi authorities deemed a now-deleted post from his 37-follower X account a national security threat, The Times of London reported. The Saudi government also made an unverified claim that Ahmed al-Doush was in contact with a Saudi critic in exile. His family stated he never posted about Saudi Arabia but occasionally shared comments on Sudan's political situation, which they believe led to his arrest, according to the outlet. Ahmed al-Doush's Arrest On August 31, 2024, Ahmed al-Doush was arrested at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh while preparing to return to the UK with his wife and three children. At his request, his family, including his then-pregnant wife, returned to the UK without him, as he was detained at the airport. He was later imprisoned in a maximum-security facility, enduring 33 days in solitary confinement, where he remains after being charged on Monday. His family had no contact with him until November, when he first appeared in court and was allowed a consular visit. His lawyers argue that his rights to due process and a fair trial were violated through solitary confinement, extended detention without charges, and interrogations without legal representation. "The fact that it is still unclear what tweet forms the basis of the charge, even after conviction and even to the UK government, further demonstrates the fair trial violations. The information known indicates that the charges against him, the proceedings and his treatment are contrary to international law and human rights standards," UK-based lawyer Haydee Dijkstal told the outlet. Mr Dijkstal added that Saudi prison officials instructed him not to discuss the hearings or his prison conditions with his family, per the report. Ahmed al-Doush's Wife's Plea Nour, the wife of Ahmed al-Doush, has urged the UK government to take action to secure her husband's release. She has urged the government to increase diplomatic efforts to secure his release, highlighting the strain his detention has placed on their family. "He missed the birth of our fourth child and our tenth wedding anniversary. How many more family milestones will he have to miss before the [UK government agencies] sit up and take action?", his wife Nour al-Doush told The Times Of London. " The night times are the hardest for me when I'm alone and it's quiet. I keep asking myself why, why, why this has happened, and I can't get to the bottom of it because it's not rational in any way. he has no political associations," she added. Amnesty Calls For Action Amnesty International and Sanad Human Rights Organisation have also expressed concerns over his detention, calling for his immediate release and criticising the lack of transparency in his trial. Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive of Amnesty International UK, said: 'We strongly condemn this sentence and 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 with him and guarantee regular access to both his family and legal counsel," Mr Deshmukh added. "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." "We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudi Arabia and are in contact with his family and the local authorities," the UK's Foreign Office said in a statement to The Times.
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Business Standard
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Jailed over a tweet? British banker faces 10 years in Saudi Arabia prison
A British banking analyst, Ahmed al-Doush, has been sentenced to ten years in a Saudi Arabian prison, reportedly over a single, since-deleted tweet from 2018. The 41-year-old Bank of America analyst was arrested in August last year at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport while attempting to travel to Manchester, England, with his family. The tweet in question reportedly concerned the political situation in Sudan and did not mention Saudi Arabia. Al-Doush's family and human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, believe the charges are linked not only to this tweet but also to his association with the son of a Saudi dissident living in exile. The family emphasises that Ahmed has no political affiliations and that the tweet was posted to a very small audience — his account had just 37 followers at the time. He was charged with violating Saudi Arabia's terrorism and anti-cybercrime laws, though the exact content of the tweet remains unknown. His international lawyer, Haydee Dijkstal, has highlighted serious concerns about the fairness of the trial and due process violations, noting that neither the specific charges nor the evidence have been clearly disclosed. The lawyer urged the UK government to take a strong stance against the imprisonment of a British citizen for exercising free speech rights. Al-Doush's wife, Amaher Nour, has spoken about the emotional and physical toll the imprisonment has taken on her husband, who suffers from thyroid problems and has endured distress during his nine months in detention. She also noted that Ahmed missed the birth of their fourth child and their ten-year wedding anniversary due to his incarceration. 'I rarely speak to my husband, but in the few snatched conversations we have managed, it is clear that Ahmed is struggling,' she said. The sentencing occurred amid a broader context of Saudi Arabia's crackdown on social media dissent, particularly targeting dual nationals and Saudis with Western ties. Several individuals have been detained in recent years over social media posts perceived as critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country's de facto ruler. The UK Foreign Office has said it is supporting Ahmed al-Doush and remains in contact with his family and local authorities, though critics argue that government efforts have been insufficient. Human rights groups have called for his immediate and unconditional release, condemning the arbitrary detention and the lack of transparency surrounding his case. [With agency inputs]
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
British banking analyst jailed in Saudi Arabia for 10 years over 'unknown tweet'
Ahmed al-Doush with his children A British Bank of America analyst has been sentenced to a decade in a Saudi Arabian prison apparently over a since-deleted social media post, according to his lawyer. The family of Ahmed al-Doush, 41, believes the charges against him stemmed from a deleted 2018 tweet about Sudan that did not mention Saudi Arabia and his relationship with the son of a Saudi critic in exile, Amnesty International said in a statement Tuesday. The father-of-four was sentenced Monday after being accused of violating terrorism and anti-cyber crime laws. "The exact tweet is unknown," Haydee Dijkstal, al-Doush's international counsel, posted Tuesday on X. "His trial and detention involved fair trial and due process violations." The lawyer said the U.K. government "should stand firmly against a British national's imprisonment for allegedly exercising his free speech rights." The Saudi Arabian government did not respond to requests for comment. "We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudi Arabia and are in contact with his family and local authorities," a spokesperson for the Foreign Office in London said in a statement. Al-Doush, a British national, was arrested in August 2024 at a Riyadh airport while trying to travel to Manchester, England, with his family. His wife has since given birth to their fourth child. "I rarely speak to my husband, but in the few snatched conversations we have managed, it is clear that Ahmed is struggling," al-Doush's wife, Amaher Nour, said ahead of her husband's sentencing, citing his thyroid problems and distress after nine months of detention. The developments came while US President Donald Trump was in Saudi Arabia, where several dual nationals with Western ties and Saudis have been detained in recent years over social media posts that could be viewed as critical to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country's de facto ruler.
14-05-2025
- Politics
British banker sentenced to a decade in Saudi prison, apparently over a tweet
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- A British Bank of America analyst has been sentenced to a decade in a Saudi Arabian prison apparently over a since-deleted social media post, according to his lawyer. The family of Ahmed al-Doush believes the charges against him stemmed from a deleted 2018 tweet about Sudan that did not mention Saudi Arabia and his relationship with the son of a Saudi critic in exile, Amnesty International said in a statement Tuesday. Saudi Arabia's press office and the United Kingdom's Foreign Office didn't respond to requests for comment. He was sentenced Monday after being accused of violating terrorism and anti-cyber crime laws. 'The exact tweet is unknown,' Haydee Dijkstal, al-Doush's international counsel, posted Tuesday on X, the platform formerly called Twitter. 'His trial and detention involved fair trial & due process violations. The UK Gov should stand firmly against a British national's imprisonment for allegedly exercising his free speech rights.' The 41-year-old British national was arrested in August at a Riyadh airport while trying to travel to Manchester, England, with his family. His wife has since given birth to their fourth child. 'I rarely speak to my husband, but in the few snatched conversations we have managed, it is clear that Ahmed is struggling,' al-Doush's wife, Amaher Nour, said ahead of her husband's sentencing, citing his thyroid problems and distress after nine months of being jailed. The developments came while U.S. President Donald Trump was in Saudi Arabia, where several dual nationals with Western ties and Saudis have been detained in recent years over social media posts that could be viewed as critical to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country's de facto ruler.
