The University of Cambridge is under scrutiny following plans by its Judge Business School to conduct training programmes for the Saudi Arabian defence ministry. Families of two scholars currently facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia have urgently appealed to university officials to reconsider this controversial initiative, which has ignited debate over academic ethics and human rights.
Families of Detained Scholars Speak Out
The sons of Hassan Farhan al-Maliki and Salman al-Odah, both of whom have been imprisoned since 2017, have sent a letter to Cambridge’s chancellor, Chris Smith, and vice-chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, urging the university to abandon its plans. The letter highlights concerns that such a partnership would inadvertently lend credibility to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s purported reforms while ignoring the ongoing human rights violations in the kingdom.
Hassan al-Maliki, a reformist Islamic scholar, has faced numerous charges, including holding interviews with foreign media and possessing banned literature. His counterpart, Salman al-Odah, was arrested for social media posts deemed critical of the government. Both men have been targeted under vague legal statutes, which have led to calls for their execution from Saudi authorities