Silencing Dissent: Saudi Court Sentences Man to Death Over Social Media Posts, Drawing International Outrage
Saudi Court Sentences Man to Death for Social Media Posts, Sparking International Outrage. The ruling reflects an escalating crackdown on dissent, with critics calling it a terrifying new stage of repression in Saudi Arabia.
In a shocking development, a Saudi court has sentenced Mohammed bin Nasser al-Ghamdi to death for his posts on social media platforms X and YouTube. This is part of a wider crackdown on dissent in the kingdom, which has drawn international criticism. The judgement comes amidst the backdrop of other individuals, such as doctoral student Salma al-Shehab, facing lengthy prison sentences over their online comments.
The severity of al-Ghamdi's death sentence is seen as a reflection of the escalating crackdown by Saudi authorities. Lina Alhathloul, the head of monitoring and advocacy at the London-based advocacy group ALQST, expressed her horror over the ruling, stating that it sends a clear and sinister message that no one is safe and even a tweet can lead to death. Alhathloul also highlighted the lack of sufficient outcry over lengthy prison sentences issued for free speech, enabling authorities to further intensify their repression.
The charges against al-Ghamdi include betraying his religion, disturbing the security of society, conspiring against the government, and impugning the kingdom and the crown prince. It is unclear why Saudi officials specifically targeted al-Ghamdi, a retired school teacher from Mecca, but his brother, Saeed bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, who resides in the United Kingdom, is a well-known critic of the Saudi government. This ruling is believed to be an attempt to pressure the brother to return to the country, a tactic that Saudi Arabia has employed in the past.
The international community has strongly criticized the sentence. Joey Shea, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, described it as a terrifying new stage of repression in Saudi Arabia, where peaceful tweets can lead to the death penalty. Saudi Arabia, known for its high number of executions, ranks behind only China and Iran in 2022, according to Amnesty International. Last year, the country executed 196 individuals, the highest number recorded by Amnesty in 30 years. It is worth noting that al-Ghamdi's case appears to be the first in the current crackdown to result in the death penalty for online behavior.
