In April 2017 Ahmad Al Shamri was sentenced to death “for atheism” by the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia. One and a half years later his status is still unknown – though it is believed he is still incarcerated. We need the help of the whole humanist community to urgently demand an update on Ahmad’s status from the Saudi authorities.
The only photo we have of Ahmad Al-Shamri
The International Humanist and Ethical Union has repeatedly called on Saudi Arabia for immediate release of Ahmad, but all our enquiries and calls have been ignored by the Saudi authorities.
Our most recent request for information on Ahmad’s status was sent on 31 August 2018. Three weeks later we have still received no acknowledgement, let alone an answer.
The call to action
We ask all our Member Organizations and individual supporters to write their own email to their local Saudi embassy.
Follow these simple steps:
- Find the nearest embassy from the website of the Saudi Foreign Ministry;
- Write an email (we have included some draft text below);
- Send it!
Sample text
“Dear Honorable Ambassador,
I am concerned with the status of a Mr. Ahmad Al Shamri who, according to media reports, was sentenced to death in April of 2017.
I am concerned with the lack of information about his status, and would like you to confirm if he is still being held, and what his legal position is.
We further understand that he was convicted on charges of apostasy or blasphemy, or “for atheism”. We believe that these charges contravene the rights to freedom of thought and expression and would like to request more information about the conviction and sentencing.
I look forward to receiving this information.”
Tips for the message
Here’s some tips for customising your message:
- We recognise that this is an emotive issue, but it is important to be polite and diplomatic. If your message is insulting, it could do more harm than good.
- Explain why punishing atheism and apostasy is a violation of human rights.
- Ask about the status of Ahmad Al Shamri.
- Ask for his pardon and release from prison.
If you receive any reply to your message, please forward it to [email protected]
After you sent the email, please consider sharing the following video on your Facebook timeline or on Twitter:
#FreeAhmadAlShamri
Posted by International Humanist and Ethical Union – IHEU on Wednesday, 19 September 2018
Support our work
Finally, if you support our work in defence of non-religious people all around the world, please make a small donation to our crowdfunding campaign to “Protect Humanists At Risk”.
