Saudi Arabia sentences prominent artist Mohamed al-Hazzaa to 23 years in prison

Saudi Arabia has sentenced artist Mohamed Ahmed al-Hazzaa al-Ghamdi (known professionally as Mohamed al-Hazzaa) to 23 years in prison for caricatures published by a Qatari newspaper during the rift between Riyadh and Doha seven years ago.

Al-Hazzaa, 48, was a freelance caricaturist before his detention in February 2018.

He worked for the Qatari newspaper Lusail during the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar, which lasted between 2017 and 2021.

But Al-Hazzaa had stopped contributing to the newspaper before his arrest in 2018, according to information revealed by Sanad, a London-based rights group.

Sanad, who shared details of the case with Middle East Eye, said he was initially sentenced by the Specialized Criminal Court to six years in prison, a sentence he completed in February this year.

He was initially sentenced in July 2021, when he had already been in custody for more than three years. However, at the end of this sentence he was not released.

The case against him was reopened in December 2023, resulting in a 23-year prison sentence from which there is no appeal. A lawyer was not present at any hearing.

He is currently being held in Dhahban Central Prison in Jeddah.

According to Sanad, al-Hazzaa was under surveillance by an undercover informant before his arrest in 2018.

When he traveled from his hometown Al-Baha to a wedding in Jeddah in February 2018, an informant sat next to him on the plane, the group said in a briefing on the case.

Upon his return from Jeddah, security forces led by the same informant detained him in a cafe where he was sitting with a friend, Sanad said.

They then raided his home, seized his belongings and plundered his studio without a judicial search warrant.

The raid caused significant distress to his pregnant wife and one of his children present, the group added.

100 drawings

Al-Hazzaa contributed to Lusail for a year after the diplomatic crisis broke out in the Gulf, expecting it to end, Sanad said. But as the blockade continued, he stopped working.

Middle East Eye contacted Lusail newspaper for comment.

Al-Hazzaa’s caricatures, which he also published on his Instagram page, featured humorous depictions of Saudi characters, with commentary mocking the country’s economic and social conditions. It was celebrated by Saudi media, including in a lengthy interview with the Rotana channel, where examples of artwork were shown.

“The case of Mohammed al-Hazzaa is an example of the suppression of freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia, which has spared no one, including artists.”

– Samer Alshumrani, Sanad

When reconciliation between the Saudi-led coalition and Qatar took place in 2021, al-Hazzaa’s family held out hope for his release.

The accusations al-Hazzaa faces include alleged sympathy for Qatar and claims that he published 100 drawings that insulted the kingdom.

The evidence presented against him during court hearings in July 2021 also included tweets that Qatar did not deserve the severing of diplomatic ties, as well as communicating with dissidents and following opposition accounts on X (formerly Twitter).

The Specialized Criminal Court (SCC), which convicted the artist, is a notorious judicial body that was established after Mohammed bin Salman became crown prince and de facto ruler of the kingdom in 2017.

Saudi human rights defenders and lawyers have accused Bin Salman of overseeing a crackdown on freedom of expression since he came to power, including the introduction of the SCC and an anti-terrorism law that Human Rights Watch has criticized for its broad definition of terrorism.

In the same year, royal decrees established two new bodies that were used to suppress activists: the Presidency of State Security and the Public Prosecution Service.

“The Saudi regime continues its systematic repression and human rights abuses.” Samer Alshumrani, Sanad’s operations manager, told MEE. “The case of Mohammed al-Hazzaa is an example of the suppression of freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia, which has not spared freedom of expression. everyone, including artists.”

‘Invented evidence’

Al-Hazzaa denied accusations that his drawings were offensive to Saudi Arabia. All caricatures used as evidence were from his time at Lusail and not after the diplomatic crisis, he told prosecutors.

When Al-Hazzaa requested proof that one of his artworks insulted the Saudi government, the prosecutor failed to provide it. He also said that some of the evidence was fabricated and that he had no drawings indicating that Qatar did not deserve the blockade as claimed.

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“Sanad claims that even if this were proven, this would not be a crime but would fall under legally protected freedom of expression,” the rights group said.

During court hearings in 2021, al-Hazzaa pointed out that the ruling wrongly labeled Qatar as an “enemy state”, despite the normalization of relations between Doha and Riyadh at the time of the alleged crimes, and at the time of the court’s ruling in 2021. July 2021. The verdict came after the appointment of a Qatari ambassador in June of that year and the restoration of diplomatic relations in January 2021.

Al-Hazzaa was convicted despite the court’s acknowledgment that the evidence was insufficient to prove an insult to Saudi Arabia, Sanad said.

According to Sanad, al-Hazzaa has suffered many human rights violations since his detention, including months of enforced disappearance, restrictions on family visits, degrading treatment and medical neglect.

He suffered from diabetes before his detention, but his health has deteriorated due to medical neglect, Sanad said.

Al-Hazzaa is the father of five children, the youngest of whom was born after his detention.

Middle East Eye has contacted the Saudi government for comment.