Informed sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Orayedh died on Friday “under torture” in police custody in the city of al-Awamiyah, located some 390 kilometers (242 miles) northeast of the capital, Riyadh, Arabic-language Bahrain al-Youm news website reported.
The victim had been detained at a security checkpoint in the Safavi district of Qatif two days earlier, and transferred to the police station in Awamiyah, where charges of an armed assault on security personnel were placed against him.
While human rights activists attribute Orayedh’s death to torture in detention, Saudi authorities claim that his psychological health was not good at all, and that he died of deep-seated fear.
The Shia Muslim youth’s family also maintains that their son was not suffering from any physical or mental illness, and that his health was excellent before his abduction.
Denouncing Riyadh’s oppressive policies against the country’s Shia minority, protesters are calling for political reform and an end to widespread discrimination.
Several people have been killed and many others injured or arrested during the protests.
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