GCHR believes strongly that the death penalty has been used widely as a political tool by the Saudi authorities.
This statement was originally published on gc4hr.org on 27 August 2023.
The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) is shocked that the Saudi authorities have sentenced an Internet activist to death for his comments on social media, in violation of his right to freedom of expression. His brother, an exiled activist, fears the sentence was handed down in retaliation against him.
On 24 August 2024, Dr. Saeed bin Nasser Al-Ghamdi wrote on his account on X (formerly Twitter) the following post, “The Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) in Riyadh, headed by Awad Al-Ahmari, sentenced my brother, Mohammed bin Nasser Al-Ghamdi, to death, following tweets criticising corruption and violating human rights, in addition to his defense during the investigation of the arrested scholars, Awad Al-Qarni, Salman Al-Awdah, Safar Al-Hawali, and Ali Al-Omari. The court did not accept all the medical reports that prove his chronic neurological diseases, and did not pay attention to his grayness and ill health, nor to the fact that his tweets are in an unknown account, which is followed by only nine followers! The procedures that were followed with him suggest that this false ruling aims to spite me personally after failed attempts by the Al-Mabahith (Intelligence) to return me to the country.”
Dr. Saeed Al-Ghamdi, 62 years old, is an academic, Islamic researcher and well-known dissident. In 2018, he was forced to seek political asylum in the United Kingdom on arrival and settled there after he was targeted by the Saudi government, especially after the massive arrests campaign launched in early September 2017, which included women and men human rights defenders, journalists, academics and Internet activists, many of whom are still in prison. Dr. Al-Ghamdi also heads the Sanad Rights Foundation, which documents human rights violations in Saudi Arabia.
He was previously retaliated against for his public and strong opposition to the Saudi government, which prevented his family from joining him outside the country.
Bloggers and human rights activists declared their solidarity with Al-Ghamdi by posting the following hashtag, which became viral soon after:
#Stop _ the _ execution of _ Mohammed _ Al-Ghamdi
Local reports confirmed that the death sentence against Internet activist Mohammed bin Nasser Al-Ghamdi was issued on 10 July 2023, more than a year after his arrest, which took place in June 2022.
GCHR considers this a dangerous escalation following the shocking decades-long prison sentences issued against women human rights defenders. It confirms GCHR’s previous warning that since Mohammed bin Salman was appointed Crown Prince in June 2017, Saudi Arabia has steadily transformed into a repressive police state par excellence. A new era of massive violations of the civil and human rights of human rights defenders, including bloggers, Internet activists and the general public, has begun, and restrictions on diverse opinions have become a reality as documented in this appeal.
GCHR believes strongly that the death penalty has been used widely as a political tool by the Saudi authorities, and is designed to spread fear in the country and terrorise citizens, in particular human rights activists, in an attempt by the ruling family to firmly control power, and to silence dissenting voices abroad.
For example, on 23 January 2023, the Specialised Criminal Court of Appeal upheld death sentences against Shadli Ahmed Mahmoud Al-Huwaiti, Ibrahim Saleh Ahmed Abu Khalil Al-Huwaiti,and Ataullah Mousa Mohammed Al-Huwaiti, three members of the Huwaitat tribe, after their peaceful protests against forced evictions and displacement for the Neom megacity project.
GCHR calls on all international mechanisms, including the United Nations mechanisms, and governments that have influence in Saudi Arabia, especially the United States, the United Kingdom, and European Union members, to intervene urgently and effectively and call on the Saudi authorities to annul this unfair death sentence issued against Internet activist Mohammed bin Nasser Al-Ghamdi. These executions are taking place in the shadow of the utmost politicised judiciary which has completely lost its independence, and become a malleable tool used by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in order to liquidate his political opponents, prominent society figures, human rights activists, and peaceful protesters.
