Saudi Arabia targets Twitter satire
Users face five-year jail term and huge fine under strict new social media laws targeting dissent
Anyone in Saudi Arabia caught using online satire to “disrupt public order” faces up to five years in prison and a massive fine, under new laws aimed at further cracking down on dissent in the Kingdom.
In an announcement published on Twitter, the public prosecutor’s office said: “Producing and distributing content that ridicules, mocks, provokes and disrupts public order, religious values and public morals through social media ... will be considered a cybercrime.”
Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia is undergoing a programme of sweeping reforms in a bid to modernise sections of its deeply conservative society.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Independent says its population is “one of the most engaged with social media in the Middle East, but online dissent has been discouraged with the threat of imprisonment”.
Dozens of Saudi citizens have been convicted on charges linked to dissent under a previous sweeping law, particularly linked to posts on Twitter.
Salman has “drawn harsh criticism from rights groups over the targeting of human rights activists and political dissidents across the spectrum since his appointment in June 2017” reports The Daily Telegraph, while “prosecutors have in the past used the Gulf kingdom's anti-cybercrime law to prosecute critics of the government” says the BBC.
In September 2017, authorities issued a public call for the Saudi public to report on the social media activities of their fellow citizens, under a broad definition of “terrorist” crimes.
Last month, prosecutors ordered five human rights protesters to be sentenced to death over their political activism. Israa al-Ghomgham, 29, is thought to be the first woman to be handed a death sentence in the kingdom.
On Tuesday, it was reported that prosecutors were seeking the death penalty for a prominent cleric who was arrested last September after posting a tweet endorsing warmer relations with Qatar.
UN experts have described Salman al-Oda as a “reformist” and an influential religious figure who has urged greater respect for human rights within Sharia.
However, the 61-year-old, who has more than 14 million Twitter followers, is accused of “seeking to spread sedition” and “incitement against the rulers”, according to London-based rights group ALQST.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - October 13, 2024
Sunday's cartoons - the swing of things, fear of facts, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 timely cartoons about climate change denial
Cartoons Artists take on textbook trouble, bizarre beliefs, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Kris Kristofferson: the free-spirited country music star who studied at Oxford
In the Spotlight The songwriter, singer and film-star has died aged 88
By The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
A brief history of third parties in the US
In Depth Though none of America's third parties have won a presidential election, they have nonetheless had a large impact on the country's politics
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Modern royal scandals from around the world
The Explainer From Spain to the UAE, royal families have often been besieged by negative events
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published