Condemnation for messages criticizing corruption and human rights abuses
Retired teacher sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. He ended up being targeted for comments posted online, denounced by his brother and Human Rights Watch. CNN turns the spotlight on his case. Muhammad al-Ghamdi, a 54-year-old retired Saudi teacher, was sentenced “after five tweets criticizing corruption and human rights abuses,” his brother Saeed bin Nasser al-Ghamdi wrote last week on X about him. Critic of Riyadh, Saeed who lives in voluntary exile in the UK.
“The Saudi authorities have asked me several times to return to Saudi Arabia, but I have refused – he said, as reported by CNN – It is very likely that this death sentence imposed on my brother is a retaliation for my activity “.
According to Human Rights Watch, the retired lecturer was arrested last year and in July sentenced “under Article 30 of the anti-terrorism law” in force in the Gulf monarchy for “having ‘described the king or crown prince in a which compromises religion or justice”.
Also against him are “article 34, ‘support for a terrorist ideology’, article 43, ‘communication with a terrorist entity’ and article 44, publication of false news ‘with the intention of committing a crime of terrorism'”.
“In Saudi Arabia, repression has reached such a terrifying level that a court can decide a death penalty for nothing more than peaceful tweets,” said Joey Shea of Human Rights Watch.
Since the beginning of the year, according to the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights, at least 92 death sentences have been carried out in the Gulf monarchy.
Source-www.adnkronos.com