ALQST has been following with concern news of the disappearance of US-educated Saudi economist Amer Matrook Alfaleh, son of the writer and political scientist Matrook Alfaleh. On 24 November 2021 Matrouk publicly tweeted that his son Amer had not returned home since going out on Saturday evening, 21 November. He said his son’s wife had reported Amer’s disappearance the next day to the Irqah district police station in Riyadh, once she was sure that he had not come home and was not at a relative or friend’s house. The police, in turn, had notified the relevant authorities, but nothing further had happened, forcing Matrouk to go public and address State Security directly in order to find out where his son was.

On 25 November Matrouk announced that his son Amer was being detained by State Security, after State Security had allowed Amer to phone his mother and wife at 1 a.m. to let them know he was all right and where he was. Matrouk insisted that his son was not involved in any political or human rights-related activity, and he had probably been arrested because of his search for work, since Amer has been unemployed and unable to get a job since October 2018. Matrouk clearly feared that the reason Amer had not found a job might have something to do with State Security.

Amer Matrook Alfaleh was born in 1982, graduated from King Saud University in 2005 with a degree in finance, and gained a master’s from California State Polytechnic in 2010 and a PhD in economics from Claremont in California in 2016. He is married with two children.

ALQST urges the Saudi authorities to release Amer Alfaleh immediately and unconditionally; to respect international laws with regard to arrest and habeas corpus; and not to arrest people without informing them of the reason for their arrest and of the place of their detention. ALQST condemns any arrest or harassment as a result of the expression of opinions.