Saudi Doctor Sentenced To 34 Years In Prison For Tweet

Activists and lawyers consider the sentence against Salma al-Shehab, a mother of two and researcher at the University of Leeds in Britain, shocking even by Saudi standards of justice. So far unrecognized by the kingdom, the decision comes amid a crackdown on dissent by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, even as his rule granted women the right to drive and other new freedoms in the ultraconservative Islamic nation. Al-Shehab was arrested during a family holiday in January 2021, just days before she planned to return to the UK, according to the Freedom Initiative, a Washington-based human rights group. Al-Shehab told judges she had been jailed for more than 285 days before her case even went to trial, according to legal documents obtained by The Associated Press. The Freedom Initiative describes al-Shehab as a member of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite Muslim minority, which has long complained of systematic discrimination in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. “Saudi Arabia has boasted to the world that it is improving women’s rights and creating legal reforms, but there is no doubt with this appalling proposal that the situation is getting worse,” said Bethany al-Haidari, the Saudi Arabia official. Since coming to power in 2017, Prince Mohammed has stepped up efforts to diversify the kingdom’s economy away from oil with massive tourism projects – most recently plans to build the world’s largest buildings that will stretch more than 100 miles in desert. But he has also faced criticism for arresting those who fail to join the ranks, including dissidents and activists, as well as princes and businessmen. Judges charged al-Shehab with “disrupting public order” and “destabilizing the social fabric” — allegations stemming solely from her social media activity, according to an official charge sheet. They claimed that al-Shehab followed and retweeted dissident Twitter accounts and “spread false rumours”. A special court for crimes of terrorism and national security handed down the unusually harsh sentence of 34 years, after a 34-year travel ban. The decision came earlier this month as al-Shehab appealed her original six-year sentence. “The sentence of imprisonment (six years) imposed on the defendant was short in view of her crimes,” a prosecutor told the appeals court. “I call for the sentence to be commuted in light of her support for those who seek to cause unrest and destabilize society as evidenced by her following and retweeting accounts” (Twitter). The Saudi government in Riyadh, as well as its embassies in Washington and London, did not respond to a request for comment. The University of Leeds confirmed that al-Shehab was in the final year of her doctoral studies at the medical school. “We are deeply concerned to learn of this recent development in Salma’s case and are seeking advice on whether we can do anything to support her,” the university said. Al-Shehab’s conviction also drew attention from Washington, where the State Department said Wednesday it was “looking into the case.” “The exercise of free speech in defense of women’s rights should not be criminalized, it should never be criminalized,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said. Last month, US President Joe Biden traveled to the oil-rich kingdom and held talks with Prince Mohammed, in which he said he raised human rights concerns. Their meeting – and the much-criticized punch – marked a sharp reversal from Biden’s previous vow to make the kingdom a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In her appeal, al-Shehab said the harsh judgment amounted to “destroying me, my family, my future and the future of my children”. He has two young boys, 4 and 6 years old. He told the judges he had no idea that simply reposting “out of curiosity and to observe the views of others”, from a personal account with no more than 2,000 followers, constituted terrorism. ——— Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

title: “Saudi Doctor Sentenced To 34 Years In Prison For Tweet Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-05” author: “Jason Jaeger”

Activists and lawyers consider the sentence against Salma al-Shehab, a mother of two and researcher at the University of Leeds in Britain, shocking even by Saudi standards of justice. So far unrecognized by the kingdom, the decision comes amid a crackdown on dissent by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, even as his rule granted women the right to drive and other new freedoms in the ultraconservative Islamic nation. Al-Shehab was arrested during a family holiday in January 2021, just days before she planned to return to the UK, according to the Freedom Initiative, a Washington-based human rights group. Al-Shehab told judges she had been jailed for more than 285 days before her case even went to trial, according to legal documents obtained by The Associated Press. The Freedom Initiative describes al-Shehab as a member of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite Muslim minority, which has long complained of systematic discrimination in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. “Saudi Arabia has boasted to the world that it is improving women’s rights and creating legal reforms, but there is no doubt with this appalling proposal that the situation is getting worse,” said Bethany al-Haidari, the Saudi Arabia official. Since coming to power in 2017, Prince Mohammed has stepped up efforts to diversify the kingdom’s economy away from oil with massive tourism projects – most recently plans to build the world’s largest buildings that will stretch more than 100 miles in desert. But he has also faced criticism for arresting those who fail to join the ranks, including dissidents and activists, as well as princes and businessmen. Judges charged al-Shehab with “disrupting public order” and “destabilizing the social fabric” — allegations stemming solely from her social media activity, according to an official charge sheet. They claimed that al-Shehab followed and retweeted dissident Twitter accounts and “spread false rumours”. A special court for crimes of terrorism and national security handed down the unusually harsh sentence of 34 years, after a 34-year travel ban. The decision came earlier this month as al-Shehab appealed her original six-year sentence. “The sentence of imprisonment (six years) imposed on the defendant was short in view of her crimes,” a prosecutor told the appeals court. “I call for the sentence to be commuted in light of her support for those who seek to cause unrest and destabilize society as evidenced by her following and retweeting accounts” (Twitter). The Saudi government in Riyadh, as well as its embassies in Washington and London, did not respond to a request for comment. The University of Leeds confirmed that al-Shehab was in the final year of her doctoral studies at the medical school. “We are deeply concerned to learn of this recent development in Salma’s case and are seeking advice on whether we can do anything to support her,” the university said. Al-Shehab’s conviction also drew attention from Washington, where the State Department said Wednesday it was “looking into the case.” “The exercise of free speech in defense of women’s rights should not be criminalized, it should never be criminalized,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said. Last month, US President Joe Biden traveled to the oil-rich kingdom and held talks with Prince Mohammed, in which he said he raised human rights concerns. Their meeting – and the much-criticized punch – marked a sharp reversal from Biden’s previous vow to make the kingdom a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In her appeal, al-Shehab said the harsh judgment amounted to “destroying me, my family, my future and the future of my children”. He has two young boys, 4 and 6 years old. He told the judges he had no idea that simply reposting “out of curiosity and to observe the views of others”, from a personal account with no more than 2,000 followers, constituted terrorism. ——— Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

title: “Saudi Doctor Sentenced To 34 Years In Prison For Tweet Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-14” author: “Pablo Garner”

Activists and lawyers consider the sentence against Salma al-Shehab, a mother of two and researcher at the University of Leeds in Britain, shocking even by Saudi standards of justice. So far unrecognized by the kingdom, the decision comes amid a crackdown on dissent by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, even as his rule granted women the right to drive and other new freedoms in the ultraconservative Islamic nation. Al-Shehab was arrested during a family holiday in January 2021, just days before she planned to return to the UK, according to the Freedom Initiative, a Washington-based human rights group. Al-Shehab told judges she had been jailed for more than 285 days before her case even went to trial, according to legal documents obtained by The Associated Press. The Freedom Initiative describes al-Shehab as a member of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite Muslim minority, which has long complained of systematic discrimination in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. “Saudi Arabia has boasted to the world that it is improving women’s rights and creating legal reforms, but there is no doubt with this appalling proposal that the situation is getting worse,” said Bethany al-Haidari, the Saudi Arabia official. Since coming to power in 2017, Prince Mohammed has stepped up efforts to diversify the kingdom’s economy away from oil with massive tourism projects – most recently plans to build the world’s largest buildings that will stretch more than 100 miles in desert. But he has also faced criticism for arresting those who fail to join the ranks, including dissidents and activists, as well as princes and businessmen. Judges charged al-Shehab with “disrupting public order” and “destabilizing the social fabric” — allegations stemming solely from her social media activity, according to an official charge sheet. They claimed that al-Shehab followed and retweeted dissident Twitter accounts and “spread false rumours”. A special court for crimes of terrorism and national security handed down the unusually harsh sentence of 34 years, after a 34-year travel ban. The decision came earlier this month as al-Shehab appealed her original six-year sentence. “The sentence of imprisonment (six years) imposed on the defendant was short in view of her crimes,” a prosecutor told the appeals court. “I call for the sentence to be commuted in light of her support for those who seek to cause unrest and destabilize society as evidenced by her following and retweeting accounts” (Twitter). The Saudi government in Riyadh, as well as its embassies in Washington and London, did not respond to a request for comment. The University of Leeds confirmed that al-Shehab was in the final year of her doctoral studies at the medical school. “We are deeply concerned to learn of this recent development in Salma’s case and are seeking advice on whether we can do anything to support her,” the university said. Al-Shehab’s conviction also drew attention from Washington, where the State Department said Wednesday it was “looking into the case.” “The exercise of free speech in defense of women’s rights should not be criminalized, it should never be criminalized,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said. Last month, US President Joe Biden traveled to the oil-rich kingdom and held talks with Prince Mohammed, in which he said he raised human rights concerns. Their meeting – and the much-criticized punch – marked a sharp reversal from Biden’s previous vow to make the kingdom a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In her appeal, al-Shehab said the harsh judgment amounted to “destroying me, my family, my future and the future of my children”. He has two young boys, 4 and 6 years old. He told the judges he had no idea that simply reposting “out of curiosity and to observe the views of others”, from a personal account with no more than 2,000 followers, constituted terrorism. ——— Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

title: “Saudi Doctor Sentenced To 34 Years In Prison For Tweet Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-03” author: “Alexander Quiroz”

Activists and lawyers consider the sentence against Salma al-Shehab, a mother of two and researcher at the University of Leeds in Britain, shocking even by Saudi standards of justice. So far unrecognized by the kingdom, the decision comes amid a crackdown on dissent by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, even as his rule granted women the right to drive and other new freedoms in the ultraconservative Islamic nation. Al-Shehab was arrested during a family holiday in January 2021, just days before she planned to return to the UK, according to the Freedom Initiative, a Washington-based human rights group. Al-Shehab told judges she had been jailed for more than 285 days before her case even went to trial, according to legal documents obtained by The Associated Press. The Freedom Initiative describes al-Shehab as a member of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite Muslim minority, which has long complained of systematic discrimination in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. “Saudi Arabia has boasted to the world that it is improving women’s rights and creating legal reforms, but there is no doubt with this appalling proposal that the situation is getting worse,” said Bethany al-Haidari, the Saudi Arabia official. Since coming to power in 2017, Prince Mohammed has stepped up efforts to diversify the kingdom’s economy away from oil with massive tourism projects – most recently plans to build the world’s largest buildings that will stretch more than 100 miles in desert. But he has also faced criticism for arresting those who fail to join the ranks, including dissidents and activists, as well as princes and businessmen. Judges charged al-Shehab with “disrupting public order” and “destabilizing the social fabric” — allegations stemming solely from her social media activity, according to an official charge sheet. They claimed that al-Shehab followed and retweeted dissident Twitter accounts and “spread false rumours”. A special court for crimes of terrorism and national security handed down the unusually harsh sentence of 34 years, after a 34-year travel ban. The decision came earlier this month as al-Shehab appealed her original six-year sentence. “The sentence of imprisonment (six years) imposed on the defendant was short in view of her crimes,” a prosecutor told the appeals court. “I call for the sentence to be commuted in light of her support for those who seek to cause unrest and destabilize society as evidenced by her following and retweeting accounts” (Twitter). The Saudi government in Riyadh, as well as its embassies in Washington and London, did not respond to a request for comment. The University of Leeds confirmed that al-Shehab was in the final year of her doctoral studies at the medical school. “We are deeply concerned to learn of this recent development in Salma’s case and are seeking advice on whether we can do anything to support her,” the university said. Al-Shehab’s conviction also drew attention from Washington, where the State Department said Wednesday it was “looking into the case.” “The exercise of free speech in defense of women’s rights should not be criminalized, it should never be criminalized,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said. Last month, US President Joe Biden traveled to the oil-rich kingdom and held talks with Prince Mohammed, in which he said he raised human rights concerns. Their meeting – and the much-criticized punch – marked a sharp reversal from Biden’s previous vow to make the kingdom a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In her appeal, al-Shehab said the harsh judgment amounted to “destroying me, my family, my future and the future of my children”. He has two young boys, 4 and 6 years old. He told the judges he had no idea that simply reposting “out of curiosity and to observe the views of others”, from a personal account with no more than 2,000 followers, constituted terrorism. ——— Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

title: “Saudi Doctor Sentenced To 34 Years In Prison For Tweet Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-08” author: “Esperanza Akins”

Activists and lawyers consider the sentence against Salma al-Shehab, a mother of two and researcher at the University of Leeds in Britain, shocking even by Saudi standards of justice. So far unrecognized by the kingdom, the decision comes amid a crackdown on dissent by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, even as his rule granted women the right to drive and other new freedoms in the ultraconservative Islamic nation. Al-Shehab was arrested during a family holiday in January 2021, just days before she planned to return to the UK, according to the Freedom Initiative, a Washington-based human rights group. Al-Shehab told judges she had been jailed for more than 285 days before her case even went to trial, according to legal documents obtained by The Associated Press. The Freedom Initiative describes al-Shehab as a member of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite Muslim minority, which has long complained of systematic discrimination in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. “Saudi Arabia has boasted to the world that it is improving women’s rights and creating legal reforms, but there is no doubt with this appalling proposal that the situation is getting worse,” said Bethany al-Haidari, the Saudi Arabia official. Since coming to power in 2017, Prince Mohammed has stepped up efforts to diversify the kingdom’s economy away from oil with massive tourism projects – most recently plans to build the world’s largest buildings that will stretch more than 100 miles in desert. But he has also faced criticism for arresting those who fail to join the ranks, including dissidents and activists, as well as princes and businessmen. Judges charged al-Shehab with “disrupting public order” and “destabilizing the social fabric” — allegations stemming solely from her social media activity, according to an official charge sheet. They claimed that al-Shehab followed and retweeted dissident Twitter accounts and “spread false rumours”. A special court for crimes of terrorism and national security handed down the unusually harsh sentence of 34 years, after a 34-year travel ban. The decision came earlier this month as al-Shehab appealed her original six-year sentence. “The sentence of imprisonment (six years) imposed on the defendant was short in view of her crimes,” a prosecutor told the appeals court. “I call for the sentence to be commuted in light of her support for those who seek to cause unrest and destabilize society as evidenced by her following and retweeting accounts” (Twitter). The Saudi government in Riyadh, as well as its embassies in Washington and London, did not respond to a request for comment. The University of Leeds confirmed that al-Shehab was in the final year of her doctoral studies at the medical school. “We are deeply concerned to learn of this recent development in Salma’s case and are seeking advice on whether we can do anything to support her,” the university said. Al-Shehab’s conviction also drew attention from Washington, where the State Department said Wednesday it was “looking into the case.” “The exercise of free speech in defense of women’s rights should not be criminalized, it should never be criminalized,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said. Last month, US President Joe Biden traveled to the oil-rich kingdom and held talks with Prince Mohammed, in which he said he raised human rights concerns. Their meeting – and the much-criticized punch – marked a sharp reversal from Biden’s previous vow to make the kingdom a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In her appeal, al-Shehab said the harsh judgment amounted to “destroying me, my family, my future and the future of my children”. He has two young boys, 4 and 6 years old. He told the judges he had no idea that simply reposting “out of curiosity and to observe the views of others”, from a personal account with no more than 2,000 followers, constituted terrorism. ——— Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.