Sep 13, 2021 - World

Pelosi "deeply concerned" about Saudi aid worker torture allegations

Rebecca Falconer

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks during her weekly news conference at the U.S. Capitol on September 8 — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Sunday she's "deeply concerned" over allegations that an aid worker in Saudi Arabia has been tortured while in detention.

Driving the news: Pelosi's call comes ahead of an appeal hearing in Red Crescent Society worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan's criminal case, due to be held Monday.

He was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by a 20-year travel ban, per an April statement from the U.S. State Department expressing concern about his imprisonment — which the MENA Rights Group said was in response to him running two satirical Twitter accounts.

The big picture: Al-Sadhan disappeared after being arrested at the Red Crescent Society office in Riyadh in March 2018, according to the MENA Rights Group.

The rights group alleges that he was "subjected to severe torture and sexual harassment while held in a secret location during his first year in detention."
This includes "electric shocks, beatings that caused broken bones, flogging, hanging from the feet and suspension in stress-positions, threats of murder and beheading, insults, verbal humiliation."
His sister Areej al-Sadhan tweeted her thanks to Pelosi for her support:

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Pelosi "deeply concerned" about Saudi aid worker torture allegations

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