The Saudi regime, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), continues its repressive campaign against activists, political figures, and scholars over freedom of speech charges.
Prominent Saudi preacher, Sheikh Badr Al-Mashari, is the last victim of MBS's crackdown campaign. Sheikh Al-Mashari was recently detained for unknown reasons.
Sheikh Al-Mashari, a preacher and imam of the Hittin Mosque in Riyadh, devoted himself to advocacy work.
Sheikh Al-Mashari's arrest came shortly after dozens of similar political arrests against well-known preachers including Sheikh Salman Al-Awda, Sheikh Awad Al-Qarni and many others.
The prominent Muslim scholar Al-Awda has been detained a few hours after posting a tweet calling for Gulf reconciliation, in reference to the decision made by Saudi Arabia to cut ties with Qatar in 2017.
In an apparent appeal for peace between the Gulf states, the tweet reads, “May God harmonize between their hearts for the benefit of their people.
However, the Saudi authorities arrested Al-Awda and nearly 30 people critical of MBS.
“These apparently politically motivated arrests are another sign that Mohammad bin Salman has no real interest in improving his country’s record on free speech and the rule of law,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
The Saudi regime, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), continues its repressive campaign against activists, political figures, and scholars over freedom of speech charges.
Prominent Saudi preacher, Sheikh Badr Al-Mashari, is the last victim of MBS's crackdown campaign. Sheikh Al-Mashari was recently detained for unknown reasons.
Sheikh Al-Mashari, a preacher and imam of the Hittin Mosque in Riyadh, devoted himself to advocacy work.
Sheikh Al-Mashari's arrest came shortly after dozens of similar political arrests against well-known preachers, including Sheikh Salman Al-Awda, Sheikh Awad Al-Qarni and many others.
The prominent Muslim scholar Al-Awda has been detained a few hours after posting a tweet calling for Gulf reconciliation, in reference to the decision made by Saudi Arabia to cut ties with Qatar in 2017.
In an apparent appeal for peace between the Gulf states, the tweet reads, “May God harmonize between their hearts for the benefit of their people.
However, the Saudi authorities arrested Al-Awda and nearly 30 other people critical of MBS.
“These apparently politically motivated arrests are another sign that Mohammad bin Salman has no real interest in improving his country’s record on free speech and the rule of law,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
Since becoming in office in 2017, the human rights situation has witnessed a significant deterioration and unprecedented numbers of political arrests.
While Saudi authorities have not disclosed the specific reasons for the detentions, they fit a pattern of human rights violations against peaceful advocates and dissidents, including harassment, intimidation, smear campaigns, travel bans, detention, and prosecution.
Over the past two years, three Saudi princes who lived in Europe were disappeared for their critical opinions of the Saudi government, amid reports of being deported to Saudi Arabia.
The three princes are: Sultan bin Turki bin Abdulaziz, Turki bin Bandar Al Saud, and Saud bin Saif Al-Nasr.
Prince Khaled bin Farhan Al Saud, who went to Germany and obtained political asylum there in 2013, is also facing threats of being kidnapped and deported to Riyadh.
Prominent members of the “Sahwa Movement” were also detained for the same charges, including Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Tarifi, Ibrahim Al-Sakran, and Muhammad bin Nayef, Saad Al-Buraik.
Dozens of Islamic journalists and writers have decided to retire political opinions for fear of the Saudi massive campaign of arrests under the charge of “silence on Qatar” against those who were not involved in the incitement campaign against Qatar.
