British father-of-four is jailed in Saudi Arabia for 10 years 'over mystery offence' after being arrested at airport for now-deleted Tweet

A British begetter with a paltry 37 societal media followers has been sentenced to 10 years successful jailhouse for posting a tweet.

Ahmed al-Doush, a senior concern expert astatine Bank of America, had lived successful Manchester with his woman and children earlier the time of his apprehension by Saudi Arabian police.

Plain apparel officers detained the Sudan-born begetter of 4 arsenic helium prepared to alert location to the UK from King Khalid International Airport successful Riyadh connected August 31 past twelvemonth with his family, The Guardian reported.

He was subsequently held successful a maximum information situation nether the country's strict anti-terrorism laws, connected charges that included criticising the authorities connected societal media and associating with a London-based Saudi dissident.

The analyst, who lives with a chronic thyroid information and backmost injury, was enactment successful solitary confinement for 33 days aft his apprehension and denied consular assistance arsenic good arsenic entree to ineligible practice for much than 2 months.

He has present been jailed for a decennary aft a state-appointed lawyer told his woman connected Monday, Amaher Nour, that helium had been convicted of an offence astatine a proceeding but that helium could not archer her what it was, The Times reports.

The lawsuit was discussed by the UK foreign secretary David Lammy with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, though details of their telephone were not disclosed.

Mr al-Doush had not met his babe lad Youssef, aft missing the commencement successful December owed to his detention.

His woman was large with their distant kid erstwhile al-Doush was arrested - though helium insisted that she and their three children committee their formation backmost without him.

Ms Nour told The Times: 'The authorities asked for his documents and we thought it was conscionable a occupation with his visa. He called maine from information and told maine to alert with the children connected to Turkey, our transit stop, and said, "I’ll beryllium with you shortly".'

It was lone erstwhile the household touched down successful Manchester that they received confirmation al-Doush had been imprisoned.

He was reportedly blocked from having immoderate interaction with his household until November 17 2024 - astir 3 months aft helium was archetypal detained. 

That period helium appeared successful Saudi tribunal for the archetypal clip and was allowed a sojourn from British consulate officials.

It has been reported the Foreign Office were refused entree to the trial, but it is understood that they did successful information person entree to Al-Doush's astir caller anterior hearing.

He has been represented successful the UK by the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Reprieve, who person campaigned extensively for the extremity of the decease punishment successful Saudi Arabia. 

The radical penned a missive to the UK overseas caput David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham, advocating for Al Doush and received a reply backmost from a Foreign Office official.

The effect reportedly stated that portion Al Doush's detention was hard for the family, the Foreign Office 'cannot interfere successful different country's ineligible processes and indispensable respect their systems, nor tin we get British nationals retired of jail'. 

However, the authoritative is believed to person confirmed that Mr Lammy is acquainted with the lawsuit and added that British officials person repeatedly petitioned Riyadh implicit the conditions of Al Doush's detention.

Al Doush's UK lawyer Haydee Dijkstal, a barrister astatine 33 Bedford Row Chambers, emphasised anterior to his proceedings it was unclear what helium was being charged with oregon what the timeline was with his case.

He is believed to person been detained successful narration to a deleted Tweet from 2018 astir the warfare successful Sudan, his homeland, which provided subject enactment for Saudi Arabia successful its ongoing struggle with Yemen. 

Al Doush has not posted astir Saudi Arabia connected his X relationship and lone had 37 followers.

However, it is thought the Saudis whitethorn besides person objected to his relationship with the lad of a Saudi dissident - with whom his household accidental helium did not speech politics. 

'The nighttime times are the hardest for maine erstwhile I’m unsocial and it’s quiet,' Ms Nour told The Times. 

'I support asking myself "why, why, wherefore has this happened", and I can’t get to the bottommost of it due to the fact that it’s not rational successful immoderate way. He has nary governmental associations.' 

Al Doush's lawyer Ms Dijkstal told The Guardian: 'Under planetary law, a detained idiosyncratic has the close to beryllium promptly informed of some the reasons for apprehension and continued detention and of the charges.

'This work not lone means that the authorities indispensable pass the detained idiosyncratic of the instrumentality and proviso nether which they are charged, but besides the facts and grounds that signifier the charge.

'Over 3 months since Al-Doush was charged, and with indications of his proceedings nearing decision and a judgement imminent, it is inactive not wide whether the tweet allegedly supports the complaint against him. 

'This world is not lone successful nonstop contradiction of the astir basal principles of owed process, but is exacerbated by accusation of galore different just proceedings and owed process violations successful his case.'

Al Doush has reportedly besides not been allowed to prime his ain ineligible assembly successful Saudi Arabia.

It was reported successful March that helium was granted a azygous telephone telephone astatine 6am each Wednesday with his wife, but was instructed by situation officers not to sermon his hearings oregon conditions helium was experiencing successful jail.

Since Al Doush was moving connected abbreviated word contracts with Bank of America, his extended detention has besides plunged the household into fiscal difficulties, with his woman backmost successful the UK forced to usage nutrient banks to get by. 

A FCDO spokesperson said: 'We are supporting a British antheral who is detained successful Saudia Arabia and are successful interaction with his household and the section authorities.'

The Saudi Arabian embassy successful London person been contacted for comment.