Saudi in Iraq prison starts hunger strike demanding retrial

Saudi Gazette report

ARAR — Saudi prisoner Abdullah Azam Al-Qahtani has started a hunger strike after he was informed Iraqi authorities would implement a death sentence against him, sources inside Iraq told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

Al-Qahtani was moved to solitary confinement at Al-Shoba prison in Baghdad after starting the hunger strike.

The sources said Al-Qahtani would continue his hunger strike until the Iraqi authorities respond to his demands, which include a retrial for him and fellow Saudi prisoners on death row.

He said the retrials should be attended by a lawyer hired by the Saudi embassy as well as personal lawyers.

He also demanded ending what he described as harsh treatment while in custody, including solitary confinement and not being able to see his lawyer.

Earlier Al-Qahtani was at Al-Sharf camp that was shut down due to a series of incidents involving gross mistreatment of detainees there.

He said when he was in the camp he was forced to sign documents without being able to read their content.

His lawyer told the court his first trial was unfair because investigators extracted confessions from Al-Qahtani under duress. A retrial was eventually ordered.

His lawyer also claimed investigators then fabricated a false criminal charge against him by getting him to sign a confession while refusing to let him read the content at Al-Sharf.

The lawyer added he received death threats for continuing to defend Al-Qahtani.

Later on he was banned from visiting his client in prison.

Meanwhile, six Saudi prisoners who are being held at Al-Nasseriya prison continued their hunger strike for the 23rd consecutive day.

They want Iraqi authorities to transfer them to Sosa prison in Kurdistan where they will be allowed to visits from their relatives anytime.

They claimed they would receive better treatment in Sosa than at Al-Nasseriya.

One of the prisoners told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that they will continue the hunger strike until the Iraqi Interior Ministry responds to their demands.