The men were among at least eight people taken from their homes earlier this month by plainclothes police. The Saudi government communications office has not responded to a request for comment on the arrests. ALQST is an independent non-governmental organisation that monitors and documents human rights violations it says occur in Saudi Arabia at the hands of the authorities. Riyadh denies having political prisoners, but senior officials have said monitoring of activists, and potentially detaining them, is needed to maintain social stability. Public protests, political parties and labour unions are banned in Saudi Arabia, where the media are controlled and criticism of the royal family can lead to prison.

Source: bd News24 November 28, 2019 10:18 UTC