Australian man extradited to Saudi Arabia was cleared of criminal charges years earlier, Human Rights Watch says




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Osama al-Hasani with his wife Hana al-Hasani and their baby in Turkey. (Supplied)

An Australian man extradited to Saudi Arabia was actually cleared two years ago of the criminal charges used to seek his extradition, according to a Saudi court document obtained by a global rights body.

Osama al-Hasani, a dual Australian-Saudi citizen, was detained in Morocco on February 8 over an allegation he was involved in a 2015 conspiracy to steal luxury cars, but his lawyer has said he was being targeted by the Saudi Arabian government because of his political views.

Dr al-Hasani, who has not been heard from since disappearing into the notoriously opaque Saudi justice system, faces a credible risk of torture and abuse, his London-based lawyer says.

Today, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a September 2019 affidavit from the Saudi Justice Ministry which found Dr al-Hasani had been cleared of all wrongdoing in the car theft case.

The affidavit said there was not enough evidence to convict Dr al-Hasani and therefore the court had decided there was “no reason for the continuation of the search for [Dr al-Hasani], the tracking of his arrival, the arrest warrant … the international extradition request against him, and all criminal procedures against him in this case”.

Despite that, the Saudi government continued to seek his detention and requested the creation of an Interpol red notice in his name. It was that red notice that saw Dr al-Hasani detained in the Moroccan city of Tangier in February when he arrived to visit his wife and young child.

“Trying al-Hasani on charges for which he was previously cleared would be yet another shameless example of the Saudi judiciary’s lack of independence and due process,” said HRW’s deputy Middle East director Michael Page.

Despite requests by the United Nations to not deport Dr al-Hasani, he was sent to Saudi Arabia a month later, where he remains. No information about his whereabouts or wellbeing have been provided.

Dr al-Hasani lived and worked in Melbourne for a decade and a half as an imam and businessman. He left Australia about five years ago and has lived between the UK and Turkey since.

After leaving Australia he met and married a Moroccan woman, Hana al-Hasani. He was visiting her and the couple’s newborn baby in Tangier when he was detained by Moroccan authorities over the Interpol red notice.

The red notice stated Dr al-Hasani was wanted in Saudi Arabia over allegations he was involved in the theft of Range Rovers from a car dealership in Saudi Arabia in February 2015.

Friends and family said that the charge was false and he was actually being sought by Saudi Arabia over his political opinions.

Soon after he was detained, a prominent Saudi dissident, Saad Al-Fagih, said Dr al-Hasani had relationships with many people within the Saudi opposition and Riyadh had become aware of that.

Dr al-Hasani had been travelling on an Australian passport when he was detained.

Dr al-Hasani’s London-based lawyer, Haydee Dijkstal, has previously said the 42-year-old faces the real risk of torture and abuse in Saudi Arabia.

The extradition of Dr al-Hasani is only one case in a series that have raised concerns that the Saudi Arabian government is seeking to quash democratic dissent both domestically and abroad.

The concerns have grown since the 2017 appointment of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as his father’s heir.

Although he has portrayed himself as a reformer, he has also unleashed a brutal crackdown on opponents of his rule.

Human rights groups including HRW have repeatedly criticised abuses within the Saudi criminal justice system such as arbitrary detention.

“Until Saudi Arabia reforms its criminal justice system in compliance with human rights norms, the likelihood is that those who fall afoul of the law will be mistreated,” Mr Page said.

“Other countries should not forcibly return people who would most likely face an unfair trial and other abuses in Saudi Arabia.”

Comment is being sought from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Source: Thanks msn.com