Khaled al-Johani (also ''al-Jehani'',

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: خالد الجهني, born 23rd August1971 {{51) is a teacher of religious instruction in

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of th ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

. He was imprisoned, without charges or trial for nearly one year, at

ʽUlaysha Prison ʽUlaysha Prison (also ''ʽUlaisha'', ''Alisha'', ''Olisha'', ) is a prison in Riyadh run by the Saudi Arabian secret police agency Mabahith for arbitrary detention. During the 2011 Saudi Arabian protests, "the only brave man in Saudi Arabia", K ...

for having publicly asked for freedoms and democracy in

– an

absolute monarchy Absolute monarchy (or Absolutism (European history), Absolutism as a doctrine) is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute pow ...

– during the

2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests The protests in Saudi Arabia were part of the Arab Spring that started with the 2011 Tunisian revolution. Protests started with a self-immolation in Samtah and Jeddah street protests in late January 2011. Protests against anti-Shia discriminati ...

. His public statement was made to a

BBC Arabic Television BBC News Arabic ( ar, بي بي سي نيوز عربي), formerly BBC Arabic Television, is a television news channel broadcast to the Arab World by the BBC. It was launched on 11 March 2008. It is run by the BBC World Service and funded from th ...

team on a street in Riyadh in the presence of security forces. On 22 February 2012 he was charged in a court for al-Qaeda suspects and a trial date set for April 2012. Al-Johani is an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience {{as of, 2012, 02, lc=y.

11 March 2011

After the

Arab Spring The Arab Spring ( ar, الربيع العربي) was a series of anti-government protests, uprisings and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began in Tunisia in response to corruption and econo ...

revolutions in

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

and

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

in early 2011, some protests took place in Saudi Arabia. A "Day of Rage" was proposed for Saudi Arabia for 11 March 2011. On that day, hundreds of people protested in

Qatif Qatif or Al-Qatif ( ar, ٱلْقَطِيف ''Al-Qaṭīf'') is a governorate and urban area located in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south, and from the Persian Gulf in the ...

al-Awamiyah Al-Awamiyah, also spelled Awamia, ( ar, العوامية ') is a town situated in the Al-Qatif region in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. , it has a population of about 25,500 people. Al-Awamiyah is bordered by the Al-Ramis farms to the e ...

and

Hofuf Al-Hofuf ( ar, ٱلْهُفُوف ', also spelled Hofuf or Hufuf, also known as "Al-Hasa", "Al-Ahsa" or "Al-Hassa") is the major urban city in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with a population of 858,395 (as of 202 ...

, but in Riyadh, the police presence was "overwhelming" by early in the morning, with large numbers of police cars present and helicopters that "crisscrossed the skies all day". Khaled al-Johani is the only person known to have participated in public street protests in Riyadh or Jeddah on that day. He walked past

journalists twice and both times was threatened by police that he would be imprisoned if he walked past the journalists, who were accompanied by state escorts, a third time.{{Citation needed, date=June 2011 He stated, "I'm here to say we need democracy, we need freedom. We need to speak freely. We will reach out, the government doesn't own us. I was afraid to speak, but no more. We don't have dignity, we don't have justice!" He stated that there is no freedom of the press in

, since it is an

, and that living a dignified life in

depends on an individual's connection and the mercy of al-Saud princes.{{citation needed, date=June 2011 After stating his opinion, al-Johani stated his worry that he would be detained before returning home and said that the journalists could visit him at al-Ha'ir or

Imprisonment and fame

Al-Johani was detained after he returned home and was not allowed any contact with his family for 58 days. Al-Johani was held at

. After visiting al-Johani in May, family members said that he had lost weight and was depressed. '' AOL News'' said that al-Johani became a "folk hero in the blink of an eye" when the BBC broadcast al-Johani's full statement in April an
a six-minute video "Where is Khaled?"
was uploaded to

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

. According to

Mohammad al-Qahtani Mohammad Fahad Muflih al-Qahtani (, born 1965) is a human rights activist, economics professor and political prisoner currently jailed at Al-Ha’ir Prison in Riyadh co-founding and later leading the Saudi Arabia human rights organisation Sau ...

of the

Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association The Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (''ACPRA'') ( ar, جمعية الحقوق المدنية والسياسية في السعودية) is a Saudi Arabian human rights non-governmental organisation created in 2009. On 9 March 2013, the ...

, al-Johani became known online as "the only brave man in Saudi Arabia". He was held without trial for nearly a year. In February 2012, Amnesty International considered him to be a prisoner of conscience. Al-Johani was given a temporary, 48 hours' release starting on 25 July 2012.

Court case

On 22 February 2012, al-Johani appeared before the

Specialized Criminal Court The Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) ( ar, المحكمة الجزائية المتخصصة) is a non- Sharia court created in Saudi Arabia in 2008 that tries suspected terrorists and human rights activists. On 26 June 2011, the court started tr ...

in Riyadh, a court used to

try Try or TRY may refer to: Music Albums * ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio * ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs * "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987) * "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014) * "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004) * " Try (Ju ...

suspected terrorists (such as members of

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit=Organization of the Base in the Arabian Peninsula or , ''Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jaz� ...

), but also used to try peaceful dissidents and

human rights activists A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing camp ...

.Saudi Arabia: Abolish Terrorism Court: Court Tries Peaceful Reformers, Critics in Unfair Proceedings
Human Rights Watch (April 27, 2012). Al-Johani was charged with "support of demonstrations, presence at the location of a demonstration, and communications with the foreign media in a manner that harmed the reputation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." His case was adjourned to April 2012. Al-Johani had no access to a lawyer between his arrest and his 22 February court appearance. He was permitted to contact a lawyer following the court appearance. On 22 February, Philip Luther of Amnesty International criticised the trial, stating "The fact that he is appearing before a court that was originally established to handle terrorism-related charges only adds insult to injury. This trial is utterly unwarranted. We call on the Saudi authorities to release him and others held on similar charges immediately and unconditionally." In February 2012, Amnesty International called for al-Johani to be released "immediately and unconditionally". The trial was expected to continue after al-Johani's 25 July 2012 temporary release.

Manal al-Sharif Manal was an Argentine rock group. Together with Almendra and Los Gatos, they are considered founders of Argentine rock.{{cite news, first=Richard , last=Spencer , author2=James Kirkup , author3=Nabila Ramdani , title=Libya: Muammar Gaddafi's regime on the brink of collapse , date=2011-02-21 , publisher=

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

, url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8339435/Libya-Muammar-Gaddafis-regime-on-the-brink-of-collapse.html , access-date=2011-02-22 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224035657/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8339435/Libya-Muammar-Gaddafis-regime-on-the-brink-of-collapse.html , archive-date=2011-02-24 , url-status=live , location=London {{cite news , first=Neela , last=Banerjee , title=Saudi Arabia 'day of rage' protest fizzles , date=2011-03-11 , url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-saudi-unrest-20110312,0,72557.story , access-date=2011-03-11 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110408061321/http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-saudi-unrest-20110312,0,72557.story , archive-date=2011-04-08 , url-status=live , work=Los Angeles Times {{cite news , first=Dana , last=Kennedy , title=Imprisoned Father of Autistic Boy Called "the Bravest Man in Saudi Arabia" , date=2011-04-08 , publisher=

AOL News AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...

, url=http://www.aolnews.com/2011/04/08/khaled-al-johani-the-bravest-man-in-saudi-arabia , access-date=2011-06-06 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611163029/http://www.aolnews.com/2011/04/08/khaled-al-johani-the-bravest-man-in-saudi-arabia/ , archive-date=2011-06-11 , url-status=dead {{cite news, first=Michael , last=Buchanan , title=Saudi Arabia: Calls for political reform muted , date=2011-05-24 , publisher=

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

, url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13507318 , access-date=2011-06-06 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610051531/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13507318 , archive-date=2011-06-10 , url-status=live {{cite web, title=EU, US Leaders Should Publicly Condemn Human Rights Violations , publisher=

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...

, date=2011-04-20 , url=https://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/04/20/saudi-arabia-dissident-writer-arrested , access-date=2011-06-07 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609003911/http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/04/20/saudi-arabia-dissident-writer-arrested , archive-date=2011-06-09 , url-status=live {{cite news, first=Hala , last=al-Dosari , title=Saudi political prisoners long for justice , date=2011-08-03 , publisher= Al Jazeera English , url=http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/07/201172811543685680.html , access-date=2011-08-05 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805082506/http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/07/201172811543685680.html , archive-date=2011-08-05 , url-status=live {{cite web, title=Saudi Arabia: Trial of Riyadh protester 'utterly unwarranted' , publisher= Amnesty International , date=2012-02-22 , url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/news/saudi-arabia-trial-riyadh-protester-utterly-unwarranted-2012-02-22 , access-date=2012-02-24 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223203623/http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/saudi-arabia-trial-riyadh-protester-utterly-unwarranted-2012-02-22 , archive-date=2012-02-23 , url-status=live {{cite web , title=Specialized criminal court begins hearings against 85 people accused of terrorism , publisher=

Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. ( ar, سفارة المملكة العربية السعودية لدى الولايات المتحدة) is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's main and largest diplomatic mission to the United States. ...

, year=2011 , url=http://www.saudiembassy.net/latest_news/news06261105.aspx , access-date=2012-02-24 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601042705/http://saudiembassy.net/latest_news/news06261105.aspx , archive-date=2012-06-01 , url-status=dead {{cite news , title= Saudi temporarily frees Riyadh protester: activists , date=2012-07-25 , publisher= Al Ahram/ AFP , url= http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/48683/World/Region/Saudi-temporarily-frees-Riyadh-protester-activists.aspx, access-date=2012-07-25 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726094953/http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/48683/World/Region/Saudi-temporarily-frees-Riyadh-protester-activists.aspx , archive-date=2012-07-26 , url-status=live {{2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests {{Arab Spring {{DEFAULTSORT:Johani, Khaled 1960s births Living people Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Saudi Arabia People from Riyadh Saudi Arabian dissidents Saudi Arabian prisoners and detainees Human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia People of the 2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests Saudi Arabian democracy activists Free speech activists

11 March 2011

Imprisonment and fame

Court case

See also