NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A Saudi Arabian court has sentenced a woman to nearly half a century in prison for allegedly damaging the country through her social media activity.
Nourah bint Saeed al-Qahtani, who hails from one of Saudi Arabia’s largest tribes and has no apparent history of activism, was sentenced to 45 years in prison after a judge accused him of “disrupting social cohesion” and “destabilizing” . the social fabric” via social media.
The judge also ruled that al-Qahtani “violated public order through the information network.”
It remains unclear what al-Qahtani posted online or where her hearing took place. She was taken into custody on July 4, 2021, according to Washington-based human rights organization Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), which is critical of the kingdom.
US State Department approves potential sale of 300 Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia
Honor Guard member is covered by the flag of Saudi Arabia (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
“This appears to be the start of a new wave of verdicts and convictions by new judges brought to the Specialized Criminal Court,” said Abdullah Alaoudh, research director for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates at DAWN, of the case.
Alaoudh says al-Qahtani was detained for “simply tweeting her opinion”.
AFTER BIDEN VISIT, CHINA’S XI EXPECTS TO VISIT SAUDI ARABIA SOON
“It’s impossible not to draw the dots between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s meeting with President Biden in Jeddah last month and the rise in repressive attacks against anyone who dares to criticize the Crown Prince or the Saudi government for well-documented abuses to connect,” Alaoudh told The Guardian.
Saudi Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, Pool, File)
Al-Qahtani’s sentencing comes two weeks after Saudi Arabia sentenced 33-year-old Salma al-Shehab to 34 years in prison after the Saudi government concluded that she was using her social media platform to ” to disrupt public order and undermine the security of society and stability of the state and support those who have committed criminal acts under the Anti-Terror Law and its funding.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The rulings on social media have drawn renewed attention to Prince Mohammed’s crackdown on dissent, even as the Islamic nation has granted women new freedoms like the right to drive.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Andrew Mark Miller is a Fox News writer. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to [email protected].