Saudi Arabia: Death sentence to academic for tweeting and using WhatsApp

A prominent law professor in Saudi Arabia who advocates the need for reform has been sentenced to death for offenses that include using Twitter and WhatsApp to share information and views deemed “hostile” to the kingdom. writes the Guardian today.

The arrest of 65-year-old Awad Al-Qarni in September 2017 marked the start mass prosecutions of dissidents by Mohammed bin Salman, just months after he was named crown prince by his father.

The charges against Al-Qarni were revealed today in court documents presented to the Guardian by the academic’s son, Nasser, who fled the kingdom last year and is now living in the UK seeking asylum.

According to the British newspaper, al-Qarni is portrayed by Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh-controlled MME as a dangerous cleric, but detractors say he is an important, respected academic with a strong social media presence. On Twitter alone, his account had about 2 million followers.

Human rights groups and self-imposed dissidents from Riyadh are warning that authorities in the kingdom have again targeted people in the country who are critical of the regime.

However, court documents published by the Guardian and obtained by the 65-year-old academic’s son show that the criminalization of social media use had begun in the kingdom since the beginning of Mohammed bin Salman’s “rule”.

The translation of the indictment against Al-Qarni includes the law professor’s “admission” that he maintained a social media account under his name (@awadalqarni) and that he used him “at every opportunity … to express his views.” The documents also state that he “admitted” to participating in a WhatsApp conversation and participating in videos in which he praised the Muslim Brotherhood. The charges included the creation and use of Al-Qarni’s Telegram account