The spouse of a British citizen detained in Saudi Arabia since 2024 over social media content has made an emotional plea for his freedom amid his worsening condition.

In November, a United Nations working group on arbitrary detention ruled that Ahmed al-Doush's imprisonment violated international law and urged his immediate liberation along with compensation. This came after an eight-month investigation.

Amaher Nour, al-Doush's wife, has issued a clemency request supported by Amnesty International. It emphasizes humanitarian concerns directed at Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, rather than challenging the trial or Saudi judicial standards.

Nour stated: "One year and eight months have passed - long enough for us all to feel the weight of absence and the pain of separation. His return to his children has become a hope we hold on to every day. His return would restore stability to his family and give his children the chance to grow up in the care and embrace of their father, instead of living with this painful emptiness during their young years."

The UK Foreign Office informed the Guardian: "We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudi Arabia and in contact with his family and local authorities."

Officials noted that Middle East minister Hamish Falconer has repeatedly discussed the matter with Saudi officials.

The UK has deployed military resources to Saudi Arabia to shield it from Iranian threats and plans further deployments to secure the strait.

Born in Sudan and holding British citizenship, al-Doush has four children, with the youngest just one year old and the others all under 10. He was detained during a family vacation while his wife was pregnant with their fourth child.

Amnesty International reported: "Ahmed’s physical and mental health have sharply declined. Chronic restrictions on communication with his family have left him profoundly isolated and vulnerable. He has undertaken multiple hunger strikes in protest at the continued denial of contact with his wife and young children.

"Most recently, his condition has deteriorated to a level that has prompted serious fears of self-harm amounting to a risk to life. His family, his legal team and human rights advocates are united in their alarm: without urgent intervention, the consequences could be irreversible."

The UN working group's report on al-Doush appeared in March 2026, yet Saudi Arabia rejected the advice. In April, it announced his conviction and reduced his sentence to five years, claiming compliance with domestic and international standards.

Per the UN group, al-Doush, a Manchester resident, received a 10-year sentence in March of the previous year from a specialised criminal court due to social media posts over five years old and ties to a Saudi government critic.

His family has not received the judgment.

His legal team remarked: "The weight of a lengthy prison sentence in a country he does not know for social media posts has been difficult for both Ahmed and his family to grasp."

The UN group deemed the detention arbitrary due to incommunicado holding, delayed notification of arrest reasons, no judge appearance for five months, and family access denied for two and a half months. Consular visits and family calls were withheld until November.

It determined the arrest stemmed solely from a social media post and perceived links to an exiled Saudi critic. Al-Doush's lawyers describe it as a mere social acquaintance.

Interrogators questioned his online activity. His lawyers note his account had 37 followers and only four posts total, including one about Sudan from 2018.

Saudi Arabia informed the UN that al-Doush committed terrorist acts, such as supporting terrorist ideology, meeting its proponents, and using networks to perpetrate and promote it. It asserted proper procedures, including consular access, chosen counsel, public trial, and fairness.

Haydee Dijkstal, al-Doush’s barrister at 33 Bedford Row chambers, urged the UK government "must use the UN decision to help one of its citizens resolve an unjust nightmare".

The UN highlighted that the Foreign Office withheld information from al-Doush's family for two and a half months, invoking data protection, a move criticized by families of other detainees.