Saudi: Activists blast lengthy jail terms handed to women over social media activism

Saudi opposition and human rights activists have expressed outrage over decades-long prison sentences handed down to two Saudi women charged with publishing critical posts and retweeting posts by dissidents, amid intensified crackdown on democracy activists in the kingdom.

Madawi al-Rasheed denounced Saudi officials over sentencing Nourah al-Qahtani to 45 years in prison for posts on social media, while jailing another Saudi woman, Salma al-Shehab, for 34 years. The latter was given a further 34-year travel ban for following and retweeting activists on Twitter as well.

She described the verdicts issued against the two women as unfair and cruel.

Rasheed said that the rulings expose the brutality and savagery of the House of Saud, which wants to show anyone opposing the Riyadh regime that a fate similar to that of the two activists awaits them.

She said that the Saudi crown prince and its security forces prosecute and punish opponents and critics abroad, noting that “the Saudi government is using social media to target, harass and threaten many Saudi activists and critics.”