UN human rights office, OHCHRexpressed outrage Friday at the more than three-decade-long prison sentence handed to a Saudi woman accused of tracking and rewriting so-called activists and dissidents.
OHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell said doctoral student Salma Al-Shehab was sentenced to 34 years in prison, followed by a 34-year travel ban related to a series of tweets and retweets about issues. political and human rights issues in Saudi Arabia, OHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell said in a statement. statement.
“We urge the Saudi authorities to stamp out her convictions and release her immediately and unconditionally,” she said.
“She should never have been arrested and charged in the first place for such behavior.”
‘chilling’ consequences
The statement continued at length, adding to the “chilling effect” of critics of the Government and civil society at large, the statement continued, describing it as “another example of the Arab government Saudi Arabia weaponizes the country’s anti-terrorism and anti-cybercrime laws to target, intimidate, and retaliate against human rights defenders and dissidents.”
The mother of two young children, Ms Al-Shehab, 34, was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2021 while on holiday at the University of Leeds, UK.
She was accused of spreading misinformation and aiding dissidents seeking to disrupt public order with her tweets, retweets and following on Twitter.
News reports have indicated that the incident marks the latest example of how the country has targeted Twitter users in a crackdown, while also controlling a large indirect stake in the media company. US social media.
Journalists have also observed that the verdict of the special terrorism court of Saudi Arabia was delivered weeks after US President Joe Biden visited Saudi Arabia, something human rights activists have said. The warning could prompt the kingdom to escalate its crackdown on dissidents and other pro-democracy activists.
Call for release
“Saudi Arabia must not only release Al-Shehab so she can rejoin her family, but also review all allegations stemming from free speech against human rights defenders. , including women who were jailed after they legally demanded reform of discriminatory policies. as religious leaders and journalists,” said Ms. Throssell.
OHCHR also urged the Government of Saudi Arabia to establish “a robust legislative framework consistent with international human rights law” to uphold the rights to freedom of expression and association, as well as the right to peaceful assembly for all everybody.
