Saudi teacher sentenced to 30 years for social media criticism after death penalty overturned
Ghamdi was sentenced to death by the Specialized Criminal Court in July 2023 for endorsing "prisoners of conscience" on social media.
A Saudi court has sentenced a retired teacher to 30 years in prison for Social Media Criticism of the government, just after his death sentence was overturned, according to his brother on Tuesday. Critics point out that Mohammed al-Ghamdi’s execution sentence highlighted the increased repression under de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Social Media Criticism
Ghamdi was arrested in June 2022 and charged with conspiracy against the Saudi leadership and supporting terrorist ideology. Based on his social media posts endorsing “prisoners of conscience,” such as the clerics Salman al-Awda and Awad al-Qarni who were imprisoned, Ghamdi was sentenced to death by the Specialised Criminal Court in July 2023.
Ghamdi only had nine followers on social media, but his criticism of the administration resulted in major legal consequences.
Prince Mohammed expressed sadness about Ghamdi’s initial death sentence and optimism for a better ending in a September 2023 interview with Fox News. His story serves as a stark reminder of the kingdom’s expanding crackdown on dissent, where a few critical social media remarks can have far-reaching effects.
Following the death penalty’s overturn, Ghamdi’s sentence garnered international attention and prompted concerns about the price of free speech in some regions of the world. The varying rulings, according to his brother Saeed al-Ghamdi, an Islamic scholar living in Britain, are a sign of the politicisation of Saudi Arabia’s legal system.
Saeed also revealed, in a disturbing parallel, that Asaad al-Ghamdi, another brother, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for making similar internet critiques. As of now, there is no word on whether Asaad’s sentence will be reconsidered. When Ghamdi’s legal issues were revealed last year, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights noted that he had just nine followers on the social media platform X.
Vision 2030 and Ongoing Concerns
The Vision 2030 plan, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed, intends to modernise Saudi Arabia and establish the kingdom as a global hub for tourism and business. However, international attention is still focused on the ongoing crackdowns on free speech and human rights breaches. According to insiders, Ghamdi was accused of planning an attack on the Saudi government, destroying government buildings, and promoting terrorist ideologies.
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