Mohamed Al-Ghamdi, a Saudi cartoonist known for his satirical work under the pen name Al-Hazza, is serving a 23-year prison sentence.
The journalist was arrested on February 13, 2018, according to his sister Asrar Al-Hazza Al-Ghamdi, who spoke with CPJ. He was sentenced to six years in prison after he was convicted on charges including alleged “sympathy” for neighboring Qatar and for creating insulting drawings.
Following an appeal in 2021, his sentence was reduced to three years and six months, according to an account of his case by his sister on the website of U.K.-based human rights group Sanad. In late 2023, the case was reopened, and his sentence was increased to an unappealable 23 years by Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court. The journalist’s sister told CPJ that the new sentence accounts for time served.
Al-Ghamdi’s arrest followed the four-year boycott of Qatar by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, which ended in 2021. His contributions to the Qatari newspaper Lusail, which according to news site Middle East Eye, predated the diplomatic crisis, were cited as part of the charges against him. His cartoons primarily focused on cultural topics, women’s rights, and anti-corruption efforts but were perceived as critical of the Saudi kingdom.
According to his sister, Al-Ghamdi’s lawyer was unable to defend him properly, forcing him to write his own defense. His Twitter account was switched to private without his consent, restricting his public voice. His health has deteriorated in prison; he suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure and sustained injuries from handcuffs. He once required hospitalizion after fainting in the prison bathroom.
The journalist is held at Dhahban General Investigation Prison near Jeddah.
CPJ did not include the journalist in previous annual prison censuses, which tally the number of journalists behind bars globally as of December 1, because it was not aware of his case until this year.
CPJ’s email to the Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington, D.C. for comment on the reason for Al-Ghamdi’s sentence did not receive a response.