The Working Group said that holding Samara "incommunicado, without access to a lawyer and without being brought to justice" constituted a violation of Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In November 2008 he was transferred from the Saudi prison system to the United Arab Emirates, where he was detained without charge or trial until 11 June 2009, shortly after an Amnesty International appeal for his release.

For the first four months in ʽUlaysha Prison, Janahi was held in solitary confinement, handcuffed, in a one square metre cell, and had no contact with his family.

[8] Riyadh University professor Dr Bachr al-Bachr, described by the support group for uncharged prisoners Adala as "a peaceful advocate of political change who frequently publicly criticised his government and its policies", was detained on 15 March 2007 by Mabahith secret police at his home.

HRW stated that the five "appear to have been detained solely for trying to create a party whose professed aims included greater democracy and protection for human rights."