Mohammed al-Sadiq

One of several journalists detained in April 2019, Mohammed al-Sadiq wrote about politics, economics, and sectarianism. No charges against him have been disclosed. Al-Sadiq was arrested April 4, 2019, according to The Associated Press and the London-based human rights organization Al-Qst. Al-Sadiq wrote for Qatari-funded, UK-based outlet Al-Arabi al-Jadeed about a range of topics, including sectarianism, regional politics, and economic and class issues in Saudi Arabia. He wrote extensively about Shi’a identity and political Islam in the Arab world and also analyzed different views of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “Vision 2030” reform plan for Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities have censored Qatari media outlets and demanded their closure since the countries’ diplomatic relations began to deteriorate in 2017. Al-Sadiq had also been active with the movement to end the ban on women driving, according to The New York Times and Reuters. His arrest was part of a wave of detentions in Saudi Arabia in spring 2019 targeting journalists and bloggers.