Saudis seize blogger for "interrogation"

Arab News:

The Interior Ministry confirmed yesterday that Saudi blogger Fouad Al-Farhan was being held for “interrogation”.

Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, the spokesperson for the ministry, said Al-Farhan was being held for “interrogation for violating non-security regulations.”

...

The 32-year-old Jeddah resident was arrested from his office on Dec. 10 and taken to his home for a search by police. Family members say they still haven’t been informed of any charges or suspicions leveled against Farhan. “They told us we can see him 30 days from the date of his detention,” a family member told Arab News on condition of anonymity.

The family has been in contact with the governmental Human Rights Commission (HRC) asking for help in the case. The family would also like to be able to visit Farhan, who is married and has two young children.

...

Farhan’s blog leads with the slogan: “Searching for freedom, dignity, justice, equality, public participation (shoura), and all the rest of lost Islamic values, and for Raghad and Khetab (Farhan’s two children).”

The bulk of Farhan’s writings discuss Saudi society and other cultural observations from a perspective of promoting more public participation.

...

I can see why some in Saudi Arabia might find ideas like that scary and subversive--not. It is getting harder for the Saudis to do these things in secret anymore. One of these days the government might learn that transparency has its value. If the government does not want to be seen as a repressive regime, it needs to explain itself on situations like this.

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