Detained Saudi cleric hospitalised: Amnesty

Distinguished Saudi cleric Sheikh Salman al-Awda has been hospitalised after almost five months in solitary confinement, human rights group Amnesty global said on Thursday, bringing up own family members.

Awda was among extra than 20 people arrested in a crackdown on dissent in early September and has been held with out rate ever due to the fact. He has reportedly been allowed simply one telephone call, in October.

Amnesty stated he became admitted to hospital in the western town of Jeddah on Tuesday and his circle of relatives were denied any contact with him.

“The hospitalisation of Sheikh Salman al-Awda, other than being deeply disturbing and worrying for his own family, highlights his shameful treatment by the Saudi government,” Amnesty's middle East campaigns director, Samah Hadid, stated.

“The authorities need to make certain that he gets all necessary clinical treatment, that he's allowed to talk along with his family and a attorney, and ─ specifically ─ that he is released from detention,” she said.

Amnesty stated Awda became arrested a few hours after posting a tweet welcoming reports of a possible reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Qatar.

Saudi Arabia and its allies reduce off all diplomatic and financial ties with the emirate in June accusing it of links to extremists, a rate Doha has categorically denied.

in keeping with his family, the Saudi authorities had demanded that Awda and different outstanding figures publicly back the kingdom within the dispute but he refused.

Saudi activists have said Awda's brother Khaled has additionally been detained for disclosing the cleric's arrest.