Saudi Arabia executes journalist after 7 years in prison over social media posts
Turki Al-Jasser, a journalist in his late 40s, was put to death on Saturday after the country's top court upheld his death sentence, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Al-Jasser was arrested in 2018 after security forces raided his home and seized his computer and phones. It remains unclear where he was tried or how long the trial lasted.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York-based watchdog, said Al-Jasser was accused of operating a social media account on X, which had published allegations of corruption involving members of the Saudi royal family. He had also posted critical comments about armed groups.
Carlos Martínez de la Serna, CPJ's programme director, told AP that 'the international community's failure to deliver justice for Jamal Khashoggi did not just betray one journalist.' He added it had 'emboldened de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to continue his persecution of the press.'
Jeed Basyouni from Reprieve, a group that campaigns against the death penalty, told AP that Al-Jasser was 'tried and convicted in total secrecy for the 'crime' of journalism.'
Al-Jasser had written articles on the Arab Spring, women's rights, and corruption. He also ran a personal blog between 2013 and 2015.
Saudi Arabia has long faced criticism for its use of capital punishment. According to human rights groups, the kingdom carried out 330 executions in 2024.
Last month, a British analyst working for Bank of America was sentenced to ten years in prison in Saudi Arabia, reportedly over a deleted social media post, his lawyer told AP.
In another case, Saad Almadi, a dual US-Saudi national, was jailed in 2021 over tweets posted while he was living in the United States. He was released in 2023 but is barred from leaving the country.
In 2018, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. US intelligence agencies concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the operation, though Saudi Arabia has denied his involvement.
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