Information received by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) confirmed that the Moroccan authorities are about to deport a young Saudi citizen back to his country, Saudi Arabia, where he faces the risk of imprisonment and torture.
On the morning of 14 January 2023, the security forces at Marrakesh International Airport in Morocco arrested 27-year-old Saudi citizen Hassan Mohammed Al-Rabie, while he was on his way to Turkey. Reliable local sources said that the Moroccan authorities transferred him from Marrakesh to the capital, Rabat, in preparation for his deportation to Saudi Arabia within the next few days. Observers say that it is likely that a red notice was issued by Interpol that includes a request by the Saudi authorities to deport him and hand him over to them, at a time when the two countries are bound by a security agreement that allows for broad intelligence cooperation between them.
His colleagues explained that Al-Rabie left Saudi Arabia legally more than 14 months ago, and there has been no criminal case against him. During this period, he traveled to several countries before arriving in Morocco, staying there for about five months, and then deciding to leave.
His departure from his country is linked to the widespread targeting of his family by the Saudi security authorities. On 26 October 2022, the Specialised Criminal Court in Riyadh issued a death sentence against his detained brother Ali Al-Rabie, after he was convicted of charges that violated his civil and human rights.
GCHR appeals to the Moroccan government not to deport Hassan Mohammed Al-Rabie to Saudi Arabia, because this would expose his life to imminent danger, including the risk of imprisonment and torture.
The Moroccan authorities must implement their obligations under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment that they signed in 1993, Article (3) of which affirms that no person shall be extradited to a country where they face the risk of torture.
Source: Gulf Center of Human Rights