Full Breakdown
Rami Naimi’s Detention and Family’s Campaign for Release
9/9/2026, 3:16:22 AM
The Abduction and Secret Trial
On November 4, 2017 — according to Mira Lozi — her husband Rami Naimi was seized at Dubai Airport, blindfolded, and flown to Riyadh. He was placed among roughly 400 Saudi elites rounded up at the Ritz-Carlton hotel during a high-profile purge that the royal court later framed as an anti-corruption drive. The family alleges that Naimi was subjected to electro-shock, water-boarding, and psychological abuse for three months. He was released in January 2018 after signing a “settlement agreement” and was forced to pledge 5 billion riyal (later reduced to 1 billion riyal, about £200 million).
In 2022 he disappeared again, was reportedly tortured a second time, and was held in the notorious Al Ha’ir prison. After a secret trial, he received a six-year prison sentence on charges that he exploited his father’s influence and posted critical content on X. He remains under electronic surveillance and barred from leaving Saudi Arabia.
Family’s Advocacy and Legal Efforts
Lozi addressed a press conference in central London on September 8, urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to prioritize Naimi’s release in all diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia. The “Bring Rami Home” campaign seeks political support and highlights the limited diplomatic avenues available because Naimi is an EU citizen, not a British national.
Official and Diplomatic Context
Saudi authorities maintain that the 2017 detentions were a crackdown on corruption. The UK Foreign Office declined to comment, and the Saudi embassy in London has been approached for a response. The case unfolds amid broader scrutiny of UK-Saudi relations, including concerns over arms sales, public executions, and the targeting of exiled dissidents.
Data & Statistics
- ? 400 elites detained in the 2017 Ritz-Carlton purge.
- Initial settlement demand: 5 billion riyal; later reduced to 1 billion riyal (£200 million).
- Six-year imprisonment after a secret trial.
- Naimi holds EU citizenship; he is not a British citizen.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Until today we have no idea why Rami was targeted,” — Mira Lozi
- “Today, I am asking my Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to make bringing my husband home a top priority in every discussion his government has with Saudi Arabia.” — Ms Lozi
- “Ms Lozi said: "He is an innocent man, and he needs to be brought home to safety.” — Ms Lozi
- “Although this is a British family and a London family, there is a block to action being taken, and it's one of the reasons why we today are urging politicians and the government to step in.” — Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, human rights lawyer
