“Over 95% of construction works of the two prisons in Riyadh and Jeddah have ended,” Director-General of Saudi Arabia’s Prisons Department Major General Ibrahim bin Mohammed al-Hamzi said, adding that Riyadh has spent over 2bln Rials for building the two jails.
He said that the high number of prisoners jam-packed in the cells was the main reason behind the decision to build the new jails.
More than 40,000 political prisoners, mostly prisoners of conscience, are in jails across Saudi Arabia.
According to the activists, most of the detained political thinkers are being held by the government without trial or legitimate charges and have been arrested for merely looking suspicious.
In Saudi Arabia, protests and political gatherings of any kind are prohibited.
Since February 2011, protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in Saudi Arabia, mainly in Qatif and Awamiyah, primarily calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination.
