A Saudi court has sentenced a teacher to 20 years in prison for peaceful social media activities, as reported by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday.
This conviction highlights Saudi Arabia’s potential transnational repression linked to his family member’s activities abroad and signifies a further intensification of the country’s ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression and other basic rights, the rights group stated.
On May 29, 2024, Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court, which handles counterterrorism cases, found 47-year-old teacher Asaad al-Ghamdi guilty of several offenses solely related to his peaceful online expression.
Media sources reported that Saudi authorities had previously executed political prisoner Mohammed Asaad Al-Shakhouri from Al-Awamiyah in Qatif Province. The execution, carried out on Sunday, June 30, 2024, marks the sixth political prisoner from the Qatif area executed this year.
Human Rights Watch has consistently criticized the widespread abuses within Saudi Arabia’s criminal justice system, including prolonged detention without charge or trial, denial of legal assistance, and the courts’ reliance on confessions obtained under torture as the sole basis for convictions.
