Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association
A Saudi human-rights organization that advocated civil and political liberties, accountable government, and legal protections before being dissolved by a Saudi court.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, commonly known as ACPRA and also identified by the Arabic acronym HASEM, was a Saudi human-rights non-governmental organization founded in 2009 by eleven activists and academics. It emerged amid concerns about restrictions on political participation, the absence of elected national institutions, limits on independent civic organizing, and alleged abuses in the Saudi justice and security systems. ACPRA’s work centered on documenting alleged human-rights violations, increasing public awareness of international human-rights standards, and promoting institutional reforms. Its stated reference point included the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments. The organization called for an elected parliament, stronger legal institutions, greater transparency and accountability, and legal safeguards for minority rights. Rather than operating as a commercial brand, ACPRA functioned as an advocacy and monitoring organization whose public identity was associated with reporting, petitions, legal and political commentary, and support for detainees and other affected individuals. The association’s founders included academics and long-standing Saudi reform advocates such as Abdullah H. al-Hamid, Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani, and Mohammed Saleh al-Bejadi. By March 2011, al-Qahtani was identified as the organization’s leader. ACPRA became particularly visible during the period surrounding the 2011 Saudi protests. It reported arrests and raised allegations concerning the treatment of detainees, including a complaint regarding the reported torture and harsh detention conditions of Judge Suliman al-Reshoudi. Its members also publicly criticized the security response to demonstrations and sought to frame these events as matters of due process and civil rights. The Saudi authorities responded with arrests and prosecutions of prominent members. Mohammed Saleh al-Bejadi was arrested in March 2011 during the protest period and later appeared before the Specialized Criminal Court on charges that included insurrection against the ruler, encouraging demonstrations, and speaking to foreign media. In 2012, Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamid were charged in connection with their human-rights activities. Their cases drew attention from international and regional rights organizations, including advocacy at the United Nations Human Rights Council. On 9 March 2013, a Saudi court sentenced al-Qahtani and al-Hamid to prison terms of at least ten years for offenses reported to include sedition and providing inaccurate information to foreign media. The court also ordered the dissolution of ACPRA. The organization’s official website subsequently became defunct and was reported as blocked in Saudi Arabia. As a result, ACPRA is generally treated as a dissolved or defunct organization rather than an active operating institution. Its legacy remains connected to Saudi civil-society activism, documentation of state abuses, calls for political representation, and the prosecution of independent human-rights advocates.
History
ACPRA was established in Saudi Arabia in 2009 by eleven activists and academics who viewed the country’s human-rights environment as deteriorating. The founding group included Professor Abdulkareem Yousef al-Khathar, Abdulrahman Hamid al-Hamid, Abdullah H. al-Hamid, Fahad Abdulaziz Ali al-Orani, Fowzan Mohsen al-Harbi, Easa Hamid al-Hamid, Mhana Mohammed al-Faleh, Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani, Mohammad Hamad al-Mohaisen, Mohammed Saleh al-Bejadi, and Saud Ahmed al-Doughaither. The association sought to build awareness of civil and political rights through the framework of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international standards. Its program combined monitoring and documentation with institutional reform demands. ACPRA advocated an elected parliament, stronger legal mechanisms for transparency and accountability, protections for minority rights, and an end to abuses that it believed were insufficiently investigated or remedied by state institutions. The organization’s public profile grew during the late 2000s and early 2010s as it issued statements about detention, alleged torture, judicial procedure, and restrictions on peaceful protest. In January 2011, ACPRA and the Human Rights First Society complained to King Abdullah about the reported treatment of Judge Suliman al-Reshoudi, including allegations that he was chained at night and forced to remain seated during the day. During the 2011 protest period, ACPRA members also described arrests outside the Ministry of the Interior in Riyadh. Government pressure intensified after the organization’s members became involved in public criticism of the security and judicial authorities. Mohammed Saleh al-Bejadi was arrested on 21 March 2011 in Buraidah by the Mabahith, Saudi Arabia’s internal security agency. He later appeared before the Specialized Criminal Court on charges including insurrection against the ruler, encouraging demonstrations, and communicating with foreign media. ACPRA said the arrest violated Saudi legal protections, and reporting on the proceedings stated that his defense lawyers were prevented from attending one session. Two other prominent co-founders, Abdullah H. al-Hamid and Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani, faced charges in 2012 related to their activities. The cases attracted international attention. The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies spoke in support of al-Qahtani during a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, illustrating the way ACPRA’s domestic legal cases became part of wider international debate over Saudi civic space. On 9 March 2013, a Saudi court sentenced al-Qahtani and al-Hamid to prison terms of at least ten years. The reported offenses included sedition and giving inaccurate information to foreign media. The same proceeding dissolved ACPRA, effectively ending its formal existence. Its website was later described as blocked in Saudi Arabia and is now defunct. ACPRA therefore has no known current commercial operations, products, or active leadership structure. Its historical importance lies in its role as an independent Saudi rights-monitoring group and in the cases of its members, which became prominent examples of the risks faced by Saudi activists advocating political and legal reform.
- 2013
Court dissolves ACPRA
[1]A Saudi court dissolved the association while sentencing al-Qahtani and al-Hamid to prison terms of at least ten years.
- 2012
Charges brought against leading members
[1]Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah H. al-Hamid were charged in cases connected with their human-rights advocacy.
- 2011
ACPRA documents protest arrests and detention concerns
[1]The organization publicized allegations concerning detention conditions and reported arrests connected with protests in Saudi Arabia.
- 2011
Mohammed Saleh al-Bejadi arrested
[1]ACPRA co-founder al-Bejadi was arrested in Buraidah and later prosecuted before the Specialized Criminal Court.
- 2009
Association founded
[1]Eleven Saudi activists and academics established ACPRA to promote civil and political rights and document alleged human-rights violations.
Products and positioning
An independent Saudi civil-society and human-rights advocacy organization focused on accountability, political participation, legal reform, and documentation of alleged abuses.
Product categories. Human-rights documentation and reports · Public advocacy statements · Petitions and complaints concerning alleged abuses · Legal and political reform advocacy · Detainee and due-process monitoring
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2011Detention and protest-rights advocacy
Saudi Arabia
ACPRA documented arrests during the 2011 protest period and raised concerns about arbitrary detention, treatment of detainees, and procedural safeguards.
Outcome. The advocacy increased public and international attention but was followed by intensified legal pressure on ACPRA members.
- 2011Complaint concerning Judge Suliman al-Reshoudi
Saudi Arabia
ACPRA and the Human Rights First Society complained to King Abdullah about alleged torture and degrading detention conditions involving Judge Suliman al-Reshoudi.
Brand decisions
2013
Saudi court orders dissolution of the associationOtherBackground
ACPRA’s advocacy, public statements, and documentation of alleged abuses had placed it in conflict with Saudi authorities.
Action taken
The court dissolved ACPRA in the same proceeding that sentenced two of its prominent leaders.
Aftermath
The organization ceased to operate as a formal association, and its website became defunct.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/saudi-civil-and-political-rights-association · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled