Waleed Abulkhair Biography

Waleed Abulkhair is a prominent Saudi Arabian lawyer and human rights activist. The founder and head of the “Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia” (MHRSA), he is a courageous and outspoken man who openly speaks out for human rights and political reform. He is an advocate for peaceful activism and is a strong critic of human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia. Born into a famous Hejazi family of judges and Imams of the Holy Mosque in Saudi Arabia, Waleed had an inherent interest in the legal profession and was naturally inclined towards issues of human rights and social justice. After completing his Masters Degree in the Islamic law from Alyarmook University in Jordan he embarked on a career as a legal professional. Later on, he also became involved in activism and first got noticed for his activism when in 2007 he challenged the Saudi authorities by signing a reform petition that requested the ruling government to transition into a democracy from being an absolute monarchy. Over the next few years, he became a prominent figure in human rights activism which did not go well with the Saudi Arabian government. In 2014 he was tried under the new anti-terrorism law, convicted on a series of charges, and sentenced to 15 years in prison in what was clearly an attempt by the Saudi Arabian authorities to punish him for his activism