newspaper reportedGuardianOn Sunday, Saudi prosecutors demanded the death penalty for the preacher, Awad al-Qarni, for alleged crimes, including having a Twitter account and using WhatsApp to spread “hostile” news to the kingdom, according to court documents.
The British newspaper stated that it had seen Saudi court documents and details of the charges once morest Al-Qarni by his son, Nasser, who fled the Kingdom last year and is currently living in the United Kingdom following requesting protection.
Prosecution documents submitted by Nasser Al-Qarni show that the use of social media and other means of communication within the Kingdom has been criminalized since Prince Mohammed bin Salman assumed the position of Crown Prince, according to the Guardian.
The charges once morest Al-Qarni, a prominent Islamic preacher and pro-reform law professor, include an admission that he used a Twitter account under his name (awadalqarni) and used it “at every opportunity … to express his views.”
Court documents also indicate that he “confessed” to participating in a WhatsApp conversation, and was accused of participating in videos, in which he praised the Muslim Brotherhood.
The charge of creating an account and apparently using the Telegram app, Qarni, was also included in the allegations.
The Saudi government did not respond to the Guardian’s requests for comment, nor did it respond – until publication – to Al-Hurra’s requests for comment.
According to the newspaper, al-Qarni was portrayed in state-controlled media as a dangerous preacher, but opponents said al-Qarni was an important and respected thinker with a large social media following, including 2 million followers on Twitter alone.
Al-Qarni was arrested in September 2017 as part of a campaign of arrests that included at least 20 people, including the prominent preacher, Salman al-Awda, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse, quoting members of their families and activists.
At the time, Human Rights Watch indicated that it had no direct information regarding the arrests, but it was likely to be linked to Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s efforts to consolidate his power.
In its report, Sunday, the British newspaper said, “The arrest of Awad Al-Qarni, 65, in September 2017 marked the beginning of a crackdown on dissent by the then-new Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman.”
In June 2017, the Saudi monarch, Salman bin Abdulaziz, issued a royal order appointing his young son as crown prince, following relieving Prince Muhammad bin Nayef of his positions as crown prince, deputy prime minister and minister of interior, according to what was announced by the royal court.
‘New crackdown’
Saudi human rights advocates and dissidents living in exile have warned that the authorities in the kingdom are engaged in a new and severe crackdown on individuals perceived to be critical of the Saudi government.
Last year, Leeds PhD student Salma El Shehab was sentenced to 34 years in prison for having a Twitter account and for following and retweeting dissidents and activists. Another woman, Noura al-Qahtani, was sentenced to 45 years in prison for using Twitter.
The head of the advocacy department in the Middle East and North Africa at the human rights organization “Reprieve”, Jed Bassiouni, said that Al-Qarni’s case fits with the trend that the organization has observed of the Kingdom issuing the death penalty for scholars and academics because of their tweets and expression of their opinions.
She added, “They are not dangerous, and they do not call for the overthrow of the regime.”
Saudi Arabia has always been criticized by international human rights organizations because of its record in the field of human rights, and has always been accused of practicing a campaign of “washing” its reputation through sports and entertainment.
Bassiouni said that the Kingdom seeks to project an international image by investing in technology, modern infrastructure, sports and entertainment.
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in attracting high-profile sporting events, including tennis, Formula One and golf, and is preparing to bid jointly to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Last month, the Portuguese star, Cristiano Ronaldo, five-time Ballon d’Or winner, signed with the Saudi club Al-Nasr in a deal valued at 200 million euros (regarding 214 million dollars).
Bassiouni said that this “contradicts the cases we see, where we talk regarding the public prosecutor – at the direction of Mohammed bin Salman – calling for people to be killed because of their opinions, their tweets and their conversations.”