A British father-of-four has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Saudi Arabia after reportedly being arrested over a deleted social media post made years ago from an account with just 37 followers.
Ahmed al-Doush, a senior business analyst at Bank of America, was detained at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on 31 August 2024 while returning to the UK with his family following a holiday. He was stopped by Saudi security officials while preparing to board a connecting flight to Turkey. He has since been convicted and jailed, though his family have still not been officially informed of the charges against him.
According to human rights group Amnesty International, Mr al-Doush, 34, was charged with spreading “fake, untrue and damaging news” on social media, and with “having a relationship with an individual who threatened national security”. Both accusations appear linked to a single tweet from 2018 about the political situation in Sudan — which did not mention Saudi Arabia — and a tenuous alleged connection to a Saudi critic living in exile, whom Ahmed reportedly does not personally know.
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Wife Speaks Out After Sudden Arrest
Ahmed’s wife, Amaher Nour, who was pregnant at the time of his arrest, was left to fly home to Manchester with their three children. Ahmed has not met their fourth child, who was born in the UK after his arrest.
Speaking to reporters, 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.’”
She added: “The night times are the hardest. I keep asking myself why this has happened. He has no political associations. It’s not rational in any way.”
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Allegations of Unfair Trial and Prolonged Detention
Amnesty International has condemned the Saudi authorities’ handling of the case, highlighting that Ahmed was interrogated without legal representation and was held for two months without contact with his family or legal team. Access remains restricted, and his family say he has only been permitted weekly phone calls since November 2024.
Sacha Deshmukh, CEO 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 added: “The arbitrary detention of another British national abroad cannot be tolerated. Immediate and decisive action is essential.”
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Foreign Office Responds Amid Diplomatic Pressure
The UK Foreign Office confirmed it is supporting Mr al-Doush and remains in contact with both Saudi authorities and his family. Foreign Secretary David Lammy is understood to have raised the case with his Saudi counterpart, though no official statement has been made about the outcome of their discussion.
A government 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.”
