Wed Sep 25 09:09:53 UTC 2024: ## Saudi Teacher Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Social Media Criticism
**RIYADH, Saudi Arabia** – A Saudi court has sentenced a retired teacher, Mohammed al-Ghamdi, to 30 years in prison for criticizing the government on social media. This comes just two months after his death sentence was overturned.
Ghamdi’s case has sparked international concern, highlighting what critics describe as heightened repression under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The prince himself addressed the case in a September 2023 interview with Fox News, expressing shame over the initial death sentence and hoping for a change in outcome.
While the death sentence was overturned on appeal in August, the appeals court sentenced Ghamdi to 30 years imprisonment on the same charges. His brother, Saeed al-Ghamdi, an Islamic scholar residing in Britain, expressed his outrage, stating that his brother is “not guilty to be arrested and tried in this way.”
Ghamdi was arrested in June 2022 and charged with conspiracy against the Saudi leadership, undermining state institutions, and supporting terrorist ideology. His social media account, with only nine followers, reportedly contained posts criticizing the government and expressing support for imprisoned religious clerics.
This dramatic about-face in judgement, according to Saeed al-Ghamdi, reflects the “politicized judicial system” in Saudi Arabia. Human Rights Watch and al-Ghamdi also report that another brother, Asaad al-Ghamdi, was sentenced to 20 years for similar social media posts.
Despite the ambitious reform agenda known as Vision 2030, Saudi authorities continue to face criticism for their human rights record, particularly the restrictions on free speech. The case of Mohammed al-Ghamdi serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing crackdown on dissent in the kingdom.
First Piper 