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Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Mother-of-four's warning to holidaymakers after husband is jailed for 10 YEARS after visiting popular tourist destination
The wife of a father jailed for 10 years over a 'tweet' has warned Brits to 'think hard about the risks' after her husband was 'abducted' at a popular tourist destination. Ahmed al-Doush, a senior business analyst at Bank of America, lived in Manchester before the day of his arrest when he was swooped on at an airport on August 31 last year as he prepared to fly home. The British citizen was held in a maximum security prison under strict anti-terrorism laws, on charges that included criticising the government on social media and associating with a London-based dissident. His distraught wife has spoken out to warn too many people are unaware of the 'dangers' of travelling to the country which hundreds of thousands of Brits frequent each year. Amaher Nour told MailOnline: 'For years my family and I have enjoyed travelling to Saudi Arabia for holidays and pilgrimage – that all changed in August 2024 when my husband was abducted at Riyadh airport. 'I would advise fellow Brits to think hard about whether it's worth the risk after my husband, a British citizen, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in Saudi Arabia for what we think might be a deleted tweet – but we're not sure which tweet, the evidence or the exact charges. 'The UK Government doesn't know the charges either and has refused to demand answers from Saudi Arabia. 'For as long as the UK Government fails to warn Britons of the dangers of travelling to Saudi Arabia, and fails stand up for its citizens arbitrarily detained abroad, other families like ours are at risk of being torn apart.' Mr al-Doush was put in solitary confinement for 33 days after his arrest and denied consular assistance as well as access to legal representation for more than two months. He was then jailed for a decade, with a state-appointed lawyer initially telling Ms Nour her husband had been convicted of an offence at a hearing but that he could not tell her what it was. The case was discussed by the UK foreign secretary David Lammy alongside his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, though details of their call were not disclosed. Mr al-Doush had not met his baby son Youssef, after missing the birth in December due to his detention. Ms Nour said: 'The authorities asked for his documents and we thought it was just a problem with his visa. He called me from security and told me to fly with the children on to Turkey, our transit stop, and said, "I'll be with you shortly".' It was only once the family touched down in Manchester that they received confirmation Mr al-Doush had been imprisoned. He was reportedly blocked from having any contact with his family until November 17 2024 - almost three months after he was first detained. Mr al-Doush is believed to have been imprisoned in relation to a deleted Tweet from 2018 about the war in Sudan, his homeland, which provided military support for Saudi Arabia in its ongoing conflict with Yemen. He has not posted about Saudi Arabia on his X account and only had 37 followers. Dan Dolan, Interim Deputy Executive Director of civil rights group Reprieve, has written to the UK Foreign Office urging the government to 'update its travel advice to Saudi Arabia' so British nationals are 'fully informed of risks to their safety'. Mr Dolan said: 'The Saudi authorities have announced that they are investing $800 billion to transform their tourism sector to attract more visitors. 'Hundreds of thousands of Britons already visit the Kingdom each year. 'Few will be aware that an old, deleted social media post could lead to them being abducted, charged with terrorism offences and potentially sentenced to death. 'Few will know that there are currently foreign nationals on death row, at imminent risk of execution, after being caught with cannabis for personal use. 'Hundreds more have been imprisoned for similar acts, including Reprieve clients Hassan al-Maliki and Salman al-Odah, two scholars detained since 2017 and at risk of the death penalty for peaceful expression of their opinions. 'The UN has repeatedly condemned Saudi Arabia's 2017 counterterrorism law for violating international human rights standards and criminalising protected speech and association.' Ms Nour previously said night time is 'hardest' for her when she is 'alone and it's quite'. She added: 'I keep asking myself "why, why, why has this happened", and I can't get to the bottom of it because it's not rational in any way. He has no political associations.' The Foreign Office said: 'We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudia Arabia and are in contact with his family and the local authorities.'
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
British father-of-four jailed in Saudi Arabia for 10 years over 'tweet he wrote seven years ago' blast government for failing to help him
The family of a British father sentenced to 10 years in a Saudi Arabia jail over a tweet have claimed he has been 'badly' failed by the UK government. Ahmed al-Doush, a senior business analyst at Bank of America, had lived in Manchester with his wife and children before the day of his arrest. Plain clothes officers detained the Sudan-born father of four as he prepared to fly home to the UK from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on August 31 last year with his family, The Guardian reported. He was subsequently held in a maximum security prison under the country's strict anti-terrorism laws, on charges that included criticising the government on social media and associating with a London-based Saudi dissident. But now, his distraught wife Amaher Nour has spoken out, alleging he is 'just another statistic in a long list of British citizens detained abroad'. She said today: 'To me and my kids he is everything. 'That's why the news yesterday that Ahmed was sentenced to 10 years in a Saudi Arabian jail is heartbreaking, even more so that we don't know why. 'And so the nightmare my family has endured for the past eight months continues into a never-ending abyss, exacerbated by the lack of clear information provided to us by the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office). 'Before the judgment was handed down, Ahmed was already suffering with back and thyroid issues and was becoming increasingly mentally distressed. I can only imagine what he is going through now, knowing he won't see his family again for years. 'He should be at home surrounded by his loved ones, not in an overcrowded cell surrounded by second-hand cigarette smoke. 'Yesterday it became clear how badly the UK Government has failed me and my husband. 'The judgment needs to be a wake-up call for the Foreign Secretary to act. Our children need their father. He has done nothing wrong.' The analyst, who lives with a chronic thyroid condition and back injury, was put in solitary confinement for 33 days after his arrest and denied consular assistance as well as access to legal representation for more than two months. He has now been jailed for a decade after a state-appointed lawyer told his wife on Monday, Amaher Nour, that he had been convicted of an offence at a hearing but that he could not tell her what it was, The Times reports. The case was discussed by the UK foreign secretary David Lammy with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, though details of their call were not disclosed. Mr al-Doush had not met his baby son Youssef, after missing the birth in December due to his detention. His wife was pregnant with their forth child when al-Doush was arrested - though he insisted that she and their three children board their flight back without him. Ms Nour told The Times: 'The authorities asked for his documents and we thought it was just a problem with his visa. He called me from security and told me to fly with the children on to Turkey, our transit stop, and said, "I'll be with you shortly".' It was only once the family touched down in Manchester that they received confirmation al-Doush had been imprisoned. He was reportedly blocked from having any contact with his family until November 17 2024 - almost three months after he was first detained. That month he appeared in Saudi court for the first time and was allowed a visit from British consulate officials. It has been reported the Foreign Office were refused access to the trial, but it is understood that they did in fact have access to Al-Doush's most recent prior hearing. He has been represented in the UK by the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Reprieve, who have campaigned extensively for the end of the death penalty in Saudi Arabia. The group penned a letter to the UK foreign secretary David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham, advocating for Al Doush and received a reply back from a Foreign Office official. The response reportedly stated that while Al Doush's detention was difficult for the family, the Foreign Office 'cannot interfere in another country's legal processes and must respect their systems, nor can we get British nationals out of jail'. However, the official is believed to have confirmed that Mr Lammy is familiar with the case and added that British officials have repeatedly petitioned Riyadh over the conditions of Al Doush's detention. Jeed Basyouni, Reprieve's head of death penalty for the Middle East and North Africa, said: 'For the past eight months, Ahmed's family have grappled not only with losing a father and husband, but with the FCDO failing to push hard enough for his release. 'Ahmed's case underscores that something is seriously wrong with the UK Government's approach to its citizens arbitrarily detained abroad, and now Ahmed and his family are the latest people to suffer the consequences. 'It is staggering that the Foreign Office still doesn't know what Ahmed has been charged with, but there are indications it relates to a single tweet. 'Will the UK Government stand idly by while a British family is torn apart, apparently over a social media post?' Al Doush's UK lawyer Haydee Dijkstal, a barrister at 33 Bedford Row Chambers, emphasised prior to his trial it was unclear what he was being charged with or what the timeline was with his case. He is believed to have been imprisoned in relation to a deleted Tweet from 2018 about the war in Sudan, his homeland, which provided military support for Saudi Arabia in its ongoing conflict with Yemen. Al Doush has not posted about Saudi Arabia on his X account and only had 37 followers. However, it is thought the Saudis may also have objected to his friendship with the son of a Saudi dissident - with whom his family say he did not talk politics. 'The night times are the hardest for me when I'm alone and it's quiet,' Ms Nour told The Times. 'I keep asking myself 'why, why, why has this happened', and I can't get to the bottom of it because it's not rational in any way. He has no political associations.' Al Doush's lawyer Ms Dijkstal told The Guardian: 'Under international law, a detained person has the right to be promptly informed of both the reasons for arrest and continued detention and of the charges. 'This obligation not only means that the state must inform the detained person of the law and provision under which they are charged, but also the facts and evidence that form the charge. 'Over three months since Al-Doush was charged, and with indications of his trial nearing conclusion and a judgment imminent, it is still not clear whether the tweet allegedly supports the charge against him. 'This reality is not only in direct contradiction of the most basic principles of due process, but is exacerbated by information of numerous other fair trial and due process violations in his case.' Al Doush has reportedly also not been allowed to select his own legal counsel in Saudi Arabia. It was reported in March that he was granted a single phone call at 6am every Wednesday with his wife, but was instructed by prison officers not to discuss his hearings or conditions he was experiencing in jail. Since Al Doush was working on short term contracts with Bank of America, his extended detention has also plunged the family into financial difficulties, with his wife back in the UK forced to use food banks to get by. A FCDO spokesman said: 'We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudia Arabia and are in contact with his family and the local authorities.'
The Independent
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Briton jailed ‘over tweet' in Saudi Arabia is being failed by UK, say family
A British man jailed for 10 years in Saudi Arabia, reportedly over a tweet he wrote seven years ago, has done nothing wrong and is being failed by the UK, his family have said. Ahmed al-Doush, 41, a banking business analyst of Sudanese heritage from Manchester, is believed to have been jailed by a Saudi judge on Monday after being held for nine months in al-Hair Prison in the capital, Riyadh. Non-governmental organisation Reprieve is supporting Mr al-Doush's worried family as they try to get more information and secure his release. His wife, Amaher Nour, was told her husband had been jailed by a lawyer who represented him in the Saudi court, but further information has been sparse. She said on Tuesday: 'To the UK Government Ahmed is just another statistic on a long list of British citizens detained abroad. To me and my kids he is everything. 'That's why the news yesterday that Ahmed was sentenced to 10 years in a Saudi Arabian jail is heartbreaking, even more so that we don't know why. 'And so the nightmare my family has endured for the past eight months continues into a never-ending abyss, exacerbated by the lack of clear information provided to us by the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office). 'Before the judgment was handed down, Ahmed was already suffering with back and thyroid issues and was becoming increasingly mentally distressed. I can only imagine what he is going through now, knowing he won't see his family again for years. 'He should be at home surrounded by his loved ones, not in an overcrowded cell surrounded by second-hand cigarette smoke. 'Yesterday it became clear how badly the UK Government has failed me and my husband. 'The judgment needs to be a wake-up call for the Foreign Secretary to act. Our children need their father. He has done nothing wrong.' Mr al-Doush was first detained in the Kingdom on August 31 last year as he prepared to fly home with his family following a holiday. His wife, pregnant with their fourth child at the time, was allowed to return to the UK but her husband was arrested. The exact reason for his detention and imprisonment remains unclear. Human rights group Amnesty International said Mr al-Doush was subjected to extensive interrogation without a lawyer present and before being informed of the charges against him. During interrogations, he was reportedly told that if not for his social media activity, he would be home with his family. Mr al-Doush has 41 followers on his X account. According to reports from his family, the 'offending' tweet, written in 2018 and since deleted, is thought to have related to the war in Sudan, which provided military support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen. Jeed Basyouni, Reprieve's head of death penalty for the Middle East and North Africa, said: 'For the past eight months, Ahmed's family have grappled not only with losing a father and husband, but with the FCDO failing to push hard enough for his release. 'Ahmed's case underscores that something is seriously wrong with the UK Government's approach to its citizens arbitrarily detained abroad, and now Ahmed and his family are the latest people to suffer the consequences. 'It is staggering that the Foreign Office still doesn't know what Ahmed has been charged with, but there are indications it relates to a single tweet. 'Will the UK Government stand idly by while a British family is torn apart, apparently over a social media post?' Amnesty said that, for two-and-a-half months after his arrest, Mr al-Doush's family was denied any communication with him or given the reason for his arrest. He was also denied consular access to UK Government representatives, the charity said. In November last year, he was allowed a call to his wife and then permitted weekly phone calls with his family. But in January this year, the calls were interrupted and have now become sporadic. The PA news agency has contacted the UK Embassy of Saudi Arabia for comment. The case has been raised multiple times with the Saudi authorities by Hamish Falconer, minister for the Middle East and North Africa, according to the FCDO. A spokeswoman for the department said: 'We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudia (sic) Arabia and are in contact with his family and the local authorities.'
The Sun
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Brit dad-of-four jailed for TEN YEARS in Saudi Arabia over ‘mystery offence' after being snatched at airport for a tweet
A BRIT dad-of-four has been jailed for a staggering 10 years in Saudi Arabia after he was arrested for posting a tweet. Ahmed al-Doush, a Bank of America analyst from Manchester, was on holiday with his pregnant wife and three kids when he was snatched at an airport in Riyadh. 5 5 Ahmed was detained at the King Khalid airport in Riyadh as he was preparing to fly home on August 31 last year. After this, he was held in a maximum security prison under Saudi Arabia's strict anti-terrorism laws. He was held on charges that included criticising the government on social media and associating with a London-based Saudi dissident. The 41-year-old, who has a chronic thyroid condition and back injury, was then placed in solitary confinement for 33 days after his arrest and denied consular assistance. He was also reportedly denied access to legal representation for more than two months. His decade-long jail sentence comes after a state-appointed lawyer told his wife Amaher Nour that her husband had been convicted of an offence, but could not tell her what it was, The Times has reported. Nour was pregnant with their fourth child at the time of her husband's arrest. She told The Times: "The authorities asked for his documents and we thought it was just a problem with his visa. "He called me from security and told me to fly with the children on to Turkey, our transit stop, and said, 'I'll be with you shortly'." Ahmed is believed to have been detained in relation to a tweet from 2018 about the war in Sudan - the country he is originally from - which has since been deleted. Inside hellish Saudi detention centre where Ethiopian migrants are held prisoner He had not posted about Saudi Arabia on his account and had just 37 followers at the time. "The night times are the hardest for me when I'm alone and it's quiet," Nour told The Times. The case has reportedly been discussed by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy with his Saudi counterpart, although details have not been revealed. Al-Doush was reportedly blocked from having contact with his family until November 2024 - the same month he first appeared in a Saudi court. It is understood that Foreign Office officials were allowed into the court for his hearing, according to The Guardian. Al Doush's lawyer told the paper: "Under international law, a detained person has the right to be promptly informed of both the reasons for arrest and continued detention and of the charges. "This obligation not only means that the state must inform the detained person of the law and provision under which they are charged, but also the facts and evidence that form the charge. "Over three months since Al-Doush was charged, and with indications of his trial nearing conclusion and a judgment imminent, it is still not clear whether the tweet allegedly supports the charge against him. "This reality is not only in direct contradiction of the most basic principles of due process, but is exacerbated by information of numerous other fair trial and due process violations in his case." Saudi Arabia's most draconian laws THE most infamous case of Saudi Arabia's draconian laws is that of Raif Badawi - a blogger who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for "insulting Islam". The Arab Kingdom still enforces the death penalty - in 2022, 196 people were executed. And on March 12 that year, 81 people were executed in one single day. Women and girls still face discrimination in regard to the law. The male guardianship act was enshrined into law in 2022, and means that women must have a "male legal guardian". The Arab Kingdom consistently cracks down on the press, controlling domestic media and jailing journalists for a variety of "crimes". Journalist Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 by agents of the Saudi government. LGBT rights are not legally recognised in the country. They are labelled as "extremist ideas", with public displays of affection between couples outlawed. Protests and demonstrations are also illegal. Those who defy this ban face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment. The Guardian further reported that Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer has raised the case with Saudi officials multiple times. Nour said she had been refused a meeting with the foreign secretary, David Lammy. However, Nour claims she has been refused a meeting with the Foreign Secretary himself. Al Doush had reportedly only had three consular visits since he was detained, the paper reports. A FCDO spokesman said: "We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudia Arabia and are in contact with his family and the local authorities." The Saudi embassy in the UK did not immediately respond to The Sun's request for comment. 5
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Brit dad with just 37 followers jailed for ten years over a single tweet
Ahmed al-Doush, a dad-of-four from Manchester, has reportedly been jailed for 10 years in Saudi Arabia after being stopped by security while preparing to fly back to the UK A British dad-of-four has reportedly been jailed for 10 years in Saudi Arabia over a deleted social media post from a Twitter/X account with just 37 followers. Ahmed al-Doush, a senior business analyst with Bank of America, is understood to have been put in prison following his arrest by Saudi authorities on August 31, 2024, while on a family holiday to the country. He was stopped by security while preparing to fly home to the UK from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. He has now been jailed for 10 years after a state-appointed lawyer told his wife Amaher Nour, that he had been convicted of an offence at a hearing on Monday but that he could not tell her what it was. Five months after his arrest, Amnesty International had said Ahmed was told that charges would be issued against him for using social media to spread fake, untrue and damaging news, and that he was secondly accused of having a relationship with an individual who threatened national security, reported The family believe these accusations may relate to a 2018 tweet he made concerning the situation in Sudan, with no mention of Saudi Arabia, which he then deleted. They also believe that the second accusation is related to his alleged association with a Saudi critic in exile with whom he has no relationship beyond knowing his son. His wife was pregnant at the time of his arrest, before catching a flight back to Manchester Airport, and he therefore missed the birth of his fourth child. Ms Nour said:"The authorities asked for his documents and we thought it was just a problem with his visa. He called me from security and told me to fly with the children on to Turkey, our transit stop, and said, 'I'll be with you shortly'. 'The night times are the hardest for me when I'm alone and it's quiet. I keep asking myself why, why, why has this happened, and I can't get to the bottom of it because it's not rational in any way. he has no political associations.' Since his arrest, Amnesty International says Mr Al-Doush has faced 'multiple violations' to his fair trial rights and was subjected to extensive interrogation without a lawyer present and before being informed of the charges against him, reported the Manchester Evening News. For two months, his family also had no contact with him, nor did they receive information about his condition or the reasons for his detention. His contact with his family and UK-based legal team has continued to be severely restricted. The case was discussed by the UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, though details of their call were not disclosed. Responding to a letter from human rights group, Reprieve, to Mr Lammy concerning the case, a Foreign Office official wrote on April 2 that 'the UK government cannot interfere in another country's legal processes and must respect their systems, nor can we get British nationals out of jail,' reported The Guardian. Amnesty International said it was not until November last year that that Mr Al-Doush was able to call his wife and family at one weekly intervals. 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. "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.' A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudi Arabia and are in contact with his family and the local authorities." The Mirror has contacted the Foreign Office for comment.
