JEDDAH, 27 April 2008 — The wife of Saudi blogger Fouad Al-Farhan confirmed yesterday that her husband, who has been detained for nearly five months without charges for comments made on his website, has been released from Jeddah’s Dahban Prison.
“He was released around 5:30 in the morning,” said Al-Farhan’s wife who asked that her name not be published in the newspaper. “He is all right, Alhamdulillah.”
Al-Farhan was unavailable for comment because he had gone out to “enjoy his freedom,” she added.
A Saudi blogger close to Al-Farhan, who didn’t want to be named, said he spoke to the blogger yesterday.
“It was a very emotional conversation,” said the friend. “I just wanted to make sure he is all right. We did not speak in detail.”
Al-Farhan was detained in December for “violating regulations,” according to official statements that made it clear that charges against him had nothing to do with national security concerns. No charges were ever pressed or outlined. The Interior Ministry issued no statements about the release yesterday.
Al-Farhan has said in the past that he was detained for comments he had made in defense of a group of Saudi citizens who had been meeting to discuss public participation in governance and other reforms.
According to him, some government officials visited him prior to his arrest asking him to tone down statements on his blog.
Al-Farhan had indicated that he would be arrested, but also stressed that he would continue to blog on issues he felt strongly about.
Al-Farhan’s family was allowed two visits during this period of imprisonment.
Earlier this month, Al-Farhan’s blog was blocked along with two other websites that had been set up to publicize Al-Farhan’s situation. Friends of the blogger had been maintaining the blog during his absence.
Al-Farhan, a father of two, owns a small IT business in Jeddah. “He is fine now and out of prison and that’s what counts now,” said Al-Farhan’s wife.
