Saudi Arabia sentences activist to 10 years in prison over tweets, rights groups say
Human rights organizations says a Saudi pro-democracy activist has received a 10-year jail sentence for writing tweets critical of the government, as a crackdown led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman against human rights activists and political dissidents widens.
The Prisoners of Conscience, an independent non-governmental organization advocating human rights in Saudi Arabia, announced in a post on its official Twitter page that the so-called Specialized Criminal Court in the Saudi capital city of Riyadh has passed the ruling on Abdullah Gailan, and slapped a 10-year travel ban on him as well.
Gailan, a graduate of West Chester University, was arrested in May 2021 after he traveled from Pennsylvania to Saudi Arabia to see his family.
Read more:
He has apparently been held in conditions that amounted to torture since his arrest by Saudi authorities.
The London-based rights group ALQST, which is an independent non-governmental organization advocating human rights in Saudi Arabia, said Gailan was tortured and sentenced to 10 years in prison over his critical tweets.
He used to write against joblessness, economic conditions and citizens' rights in posts published on social media platforms, according to online activists.
Since bin Salman became Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader in 2017, the kingdom has arrested hundreds of activists, bloggers, intellectuals and others for their political activism, showing almost zero tolerance for dissent even in the face of international condemnation of the crackdown.
Read more:
Muslim scholars have been executed and women’s rights campaigners have been put behind bars and tortured as freedom of expression, association, and belief continue to be denied by the kingdom's authorities.
Over the past years, Riyadh has also redefined its anti-terrorism laws to target activism.
War on Yemen part of US, UK scenario to reshape region: Houthi
Yemen warns will target Saudi Arabia if Riyadh colludes with US against Sana'a
Saudi Arabia executes 7 men in largest execution since 2022
US will pull out military personnel from Niger: Report
US sanctions on Venezuelan oil ‘violation of human rights’: Iran
VIDEO | Hundreds of students take to streets in Milan in support of Palestine
UN warns hundreds of thousands of Sudanese under ‘immediate danger’
Iraqi resistance strikes ‘vital’ target in Eilat after Israel attacks PMU base
North Korea conducts cruise missile warhead test: State media
Israeli airstrike kills at least 7 people in Rafah
VIDEO | Iranians hold nationwide demos in support of IRGC
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
