Waiting for Ali…
By Fatima Haydar
Beirut – On December 21, Ali al-Nimr turns 25 while on death row in Saudi Arabia. It will be his 7th birthday in prison after being arrested in February 2012 for participating in a peaceful pro-democracy rally in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province.
Ali was just 17 when he was arrested in his Saudi hometown of Qatif on February 14, 2012 after Saudi authorities rammed their vehicle while he was riding his motorcycle.
That was the day when everything in Ali’s life changed forever!
That Ali was the nephew of reformist Shia cleric and protest leader Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who was executed in January 2016, made his case more difficult; he stood accused of joining a terrorist organization, throwing Molotov cocktails and arson.
Ali is one of three Saudi Arabian young men known to be on death row who were arrested and charged with crimes allegedly committed when they were minors.
Sources close to Ali’s family revealed some striking information regarding their son’s situation in prison. To many, the details might seem trivial, but to Ali’s family they are a great deal.
Ali is the eight person in a prison cell that accommodates seven. He is denied participation in any activities and spends his time reading the books he buys; he even joined college to acquire a degree in Business Administration.
Think about that for a second. What would a “terrorist” or an “arsonist” want with a college degree?
As poor as the living conditions are in the prison cells, the medical ward is even worse. Ali, according the source, suffers from a tumor on the upper part of his back – luckily, the tumor is benign. However, he has yet underwent surgery because he was told that he needed to be under general anesthesia during the procedure.
If that isn’t bad enough, wait for the food! Inmates are served inedible food.
But the worst part of all this is that visitation lasts for one hour every five weeks and a 10-minute phone call every one week. As if the situation is not bad enough for Ali, the brutal Al Saud regime is making sure that his family suffers too!
It is forbidden for Ali’s family to take him food or clothing. They can deposit him a sum of money with which he can buy some books, a couple of pies and simple necessities that he may need, such as medications.
The source described the prison where Ali is being held as having a so-called “time management” ward which accommodates a big number of inmates and has been allotted various programs and activities, a sports field, a library and an arts department. But unfortunately for Ali, he was not transferred to that ward.
Perhaps the most striking thing regarding the charges against Ali is that they did not involve causing the slightest harm to anyone! Ali was not charged with firearm possession – whatever kind it was, neither was he charged of even throwing a single stone at any person – civilian or military; and therefore the death penalty becomes the subject of legitimate questions for jurists around the world.
On April 23, Saudi Arabia executed 37 people in a single day. At least three were arrested as teenagers and tortured into false confessions. Many were convicted of non-lethal crimes, such as attending peaceful pro-democracy protests.
According to human rights groups, Saudi Arabia claims to be reforming under its Vision 2030 program, yet it has executed more than 100 people in the first four months of 2019 and is on track to execute more than 300 this year.
Executions in Saudi Arabia can happen at any time, with no warning!
Ali’s family has been waiting for a couple of years now… for seven long years… for seven sleepless years…
As Samuel Beckett's Vladimir and Estragon wait for the arrival of Godot, but Godot never comes – we never know who or what is keeping him from coming; so does Ali’s family who anxiously wait for Ali’s return, but the heartless Al Saud regime keeps depriving them from their beloved son.
Though the righteous always triumphs in the end, no matter how long, no matter how hard… “Verily, with every hardship, there is relief”.
Happy 25th birthday dear Ali. You will be in my prayers and thoughts.
This is dedicated to Ali and his family… may your hearts be filled with serenity.
To Mrs. al-Nimr, I can never imagine the feeling of being away from one’s own child. Perhaps I can comfort you with my prayers and offer you my comforting words: hang on and remember that there is light at the end of your tunnel.
