Saudi officials extend prison sentence of activist Khaled Al-Omair
Saudi officials extend prison sentence of activist Khaled Al-Omair
The Specialised Criminal Court in Riyadh has decided to prolong the sentence of imprisoned human rights activists amid the Crown Prince’s continued crackdown against dissidents.
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Saudi Arabia said it would implement new legal and judiciary reforms earlier this year [Getty]
A Saudi non-governmental organisation reported on Thursday that authorities have increased the prison sentence of human rights activist Khaled Al-Omair following a tighter crackdown on perceived opponents led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The group announced that Al-Omair’s sentence had been changed from seven to nine years, with a travel ban for nine years, and had new lawsuits filed against him.
The Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) in the capital city Riyadh sentenced Al-Omair to seven years in prison last April on the premise that he was "leading activities aimed at harming the security of the kingdom," reported the Iran-based AhlulBayt News Agency.
Al-Omair filed a complaint with the court against one of the officers of the General Directorate of Investigation who he said tortured him during his last 10-year-imprisonment.
International human rights group, Amnesty, have documented extensively on the SCC’s sentencing of individuals exercising their rights to freedom of expression and the courts grossly unfair trials.
In February, Prince Mohammed announced plans for a new judicial reform setting the country in a direction of codified law where their current legal system is based on Islamic law.
“The new laws represent a new wave of reforms that will...increase the reliability of procedures and oversight mechanisms as cornerstones in achieving the principles of justice, clarifying the lines of accountability,” the Crown Prince said in a statement.
The country is yet to publish the new laws and regulations.
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