Saudi court sentences rights activist to six years in jail

Yamanyoon

A Saudi court has sentenced an activist to six years in prison over criticizing Riyadh’s human rights violations and the country’s three-year war on Yemen.

According to London-based Saudi rights group ALQST, the Saudi court sentenced rights activist Issa al-Nukheifi to six years in prison on Wednesday over tweets criticizing Saudi Arabia’s military campaign against Yemen and insulting the Saudi ruling system over its decisions, criminal proceedings and security procedures.

He was also accused of re-tweeting anti-government posts and receiving money transfers from an inmate still serving a sentence.

Nukheifi, who was detained in December 2016, was sentenced to a six-year ban on social media as well as a six-year travel ban outside of the country after his prison term ends.

The activist was imprisoned in 2012 over similar charges and was released in April 2016, only to be arrested eight months later.

Amnesty International called for Nukheifi’s immediate release.

“Instead of engaging with activists on reforms, the authorities are going after them one by one, with almost all of the country’s human rights activists now silenced or imprisoned,” Dana Ahmed, the Amnesty’s campaigner on Saudi Arabia, said.

The Saudi Ministry of Interior has declined to comment on the issue.

Press TV