2015 Ludovic-Trarieux Human Rights Award Ceremony - Waleed Abu al-Khair

_The President of the Geneva Bar Association, Jean-Marc Carnicé, presents the Prize to Waleed Abu al-Khair's lawyer,

Mr. Dan Arshack. (Photo Jean-René Tancrède)_
 

On November 27, 2015, the jury of the Ludovic Trarieux Human Rights International Prize officially awarded the Prize to Waleed Abu Al-Khair, at a ceremony organised by the Geneva Bar. The Saudi human rights defender was represented by Mr. Daniel Arshack, his American lawyer.

The UIA was represented by Mr. Pascal Maurer, Director General of UIA-IROL and Ms. Laurence Bory, President-Elect. 

For further information about the ceremony please click here.

Mr. Abu al-Khair, who was the legal counsel for numerous victims of human rights violations, is serving a 15-year prison sentence in the Al Hair rehabilitation centre in Riyadh. The charges leading to his sentence include “attempt to overthrow the State and the King’s authority”; “criticism and insults against the judiciary” and “gathering international organisations against the Kingdom”, among others. The UIA has been actively calling for his release. 

On October 2015, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ascertained that Waleed Abu Al-Khair, as well as eight other human rights activists, have been detained arbitrarily by the Saudi authorities.