am afraid of losing the father of my newborn baby. It is a terrible fear that the wife of Osama al-Hasani felt. This Australian theologian of Saudi origin has been imprisoned in Morocco for three weeks at the request of Riyadh, who is demanding his immediate extradition. Saudi authorities suspect him of belonging to an opposition movement to Wahhabi power.
On February 8, Osama al-Hasani landed at Casablanca International Airport to visit his wife and baby. Subject to a Saudi arrest warrant, he was arrested by Moroccan police on his arrival. According to the testimony of his wife provided to our colleagues of SBS, he was reportedly transferred to Tiflet prison, 175 kilometers northwest of Casablanca, on February 23.
Who is this 42-year-old man Saudi Arabia wants to see behind bars? On his Twitter account, followed by more than 5,300 people, we learn that he is a “consultant in international trade”. With a doctorate, he is described by the Prisoners of Conscience collective (a human rights group specializing in the interests of those detained in Saudi Arabia) as a “prominent figure, trader, Quran scholar and former professor. at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah ”. “We reaffirm that it has no connection with any political opposition activity,” defends the collective on its Twitter page. “The problem is really urgent and his life is in danger. Sharing the fears of Osama al-Hasani’s wife, the group warns of the danger of death hanging over the doctor in the event of extradition. Before adding: “He will most likely be deported to Saudi Arabia, where the real danger lies, because he will either be killed or imprisoned for several years. ”
He survives on water and bread.
His wife, who testifies to having seen him five minutes two days after his arrest, deplores his conditions of detention: “The situation is catastrophic. He survives on water and bread. “And makes the connection with the Saudi Jamal Khashoggi, this journalist of the Washington Post, American resident, killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul (Turkey) in 2018. “I’m afraid his fate will be like that of Jamal Khashoggi. A comparison heavy with significance, since US President Joe Biden has just declassified a CIA report accusing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed ben Salman of having “validated” the assassination of the Saudi opponent.
For its part, Australia seems quite powerless. Contacted by SBS, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that it was providing consular assistance to “an Australian citizen detained in Morocco”, without giving further information. As a last attempt, Prisoners of Conscience called on the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, to intervene urgently. In vain. The trial will be held this Wednesday March 3.
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