Geneva – SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties stated that the arrest of Yemeni journalist Mujahid Mohammed Yaslam Al-Hayqi in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, and his subsequent enforced disappearance since that date, constitutes a grave violation of international law and raises profound concerns about his safety and conditions of detention. The organization stressed that this arrest took place under obscure circumstances, without any official explanation or judicial warrant, which renders the incident an act of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance prohibited under international conventions.
The organization noted that Al-Hayqi, 33 years old, who serves as the Head of the Fuel Stations Division at the Yemen Petroleum Company – Hadramout Coast Branch, in addition to his independent journalistic activity, entered Saudi Arabia on July 24, 2025 with his mother to perform Umrah, after spending several months in Cairo accompanying his father who has been undergoing long-term treatment following a serious traffic accident. On the morning of his disappearance, Al-Hayqi contacted his mother and informed her that he was heading to a General Investigations (Mabahith) office in Jeddah pursuant to a summons related to his travel procedures. Since that moment, all contact with him has been completely severed.
According to his family’s testimony, a Saudi security force arrived at his residence hours later, searched the apartment in the presence of his mother only, and was accompanied by female police officers, without presenting any judicial warrant or providing a reason for the raid. The family reported that Al-Hayqi was then taken to an undisclosed location, and to this day he has not been allowed to communicate with his family or with an independent lawyer—constituting a flagrant violation of basic rights guaranteed under international law.
“Sam” indicated that detaining the Yemeni journalist in such an arbitrary manner and depriving him of any legal safeguards represents a clear breach of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), particularly Article 9, which prohibits arbitrary arrest and requires any detention to follow announced legal procedures, and Article 10, which obliges states to treat all persons deprived of liberty with humanity and dignity. The organization emphasized that the continued concealment of his whereabouts and denial of contact with his family amounts to an act of enforced disappearance under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, a crime under international law that does not lapse by statute of limitations.
The organization considered that the silence of the Saudi authorities and the absence of any official clarification so far point to alarming security practices that lack transparency and are inconsistent with the Kingdom’s religious and legal obligations, particularly regarding the safety of visitors and pilgrims. It stressed that performing Umrah must remain free from any targeting or arbitrary practices, and that turning it into a pretext for detention undermines the sanctity of religious rituals and weakens the Kingdom’s moral and religious standing.
“Sam” affirmed that this incident constitutes a serious test of Saudi Arabia’s compliance with its international human rights obligations and reflects the scale of threats faced by Yemeni journalists and citizens abroad. It further highlighted that Al-Hayqi’s family is enduring a compounded humanitarian tragedy, as his mother was forced to return to Cairo to accompany her ailing husband without receiving any assurances or clarification regarding her son’s fate—exacerbating the psychological pain and suffering of the family.
The organization called on the Saudi authorities to immediately disclose the location of Al-Hayqi’s detention, guarantee his fundamental rights to communicate with his family and appoint legal counsel, and release him without delay unless there are clear, lawful charges subject to fair judicial procedures. It also urged the Yemeni government, represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Yemeni Embassy in Riyadh, to shoulder its legal and humanitarian responsibilities toward its citizens and to press for official clarifications on the circumstances of this incident.
“Sam” further appealed to international organizations concerned with press freedom and human rights to urgently intervene and exert pressure to reveal the fate of Yemeni journalist Mujahid Al-Hayqi and secure his release, calling on the international community and all relevant UN mechanisms to stand in solidarity with this just cause, viewing it as a test of respect for the right to liberty and dignity in accordance with international human rights standards.