Saudi man sentenced to 30 years in jail for criticizing government on social media
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A Saudi court has sentenced Mohammed al-Ghamdi, a retired teacher, to 30 years in prison for criticizing the government on social media.
The ruling comes just weeks after his initial death sentence was overturned on appeal, according to his brother, Saeed al-Ghamdi, an Islamic scholar based in the UK.
Mohammed al-Ghamdi was originally sentenced to death in July 2023 by the Specialized Criminal Court, which handles terrorism-related cases.
The charges against him were based on social media posts expressing support for "prisoners of conscience," including jailed clerics Salman al-Awda and Awad al-Qarni. His account on X (formerly Twitter) reportedly had only nine followers, raising concerns about the severity of the punishment.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman addressed the case in a September 2023 interview, expressing embarrassment over the situation and a desire for a different outcome. The appeals court ultimately replaced the death sentence with a 30-year prison term, but critics argue that the judicial process remains highly politicized.
Saeed al-Ghamdi condemned the decision on social media, calling his brother's trial unjust. Another brother, Asaad al-Ghamdi, was also sentenced to 20 years in prison over critical social media posts, though it's unclear if his sentence will be reviewed.
While Saudi Arabia is undergoing significant reforms as part of its Vision 2030 initiative, the country continues to face international criticism for its human rights record, particularly regarding free speech and political dissent.
