Saudi Arabia professor sentenced to death for using social media against government

A famous law professor in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to death for having a Twitter account and using WhatsApp to share information considered "hostile" by the authorities.

The 65-year-old professor, Awad Al-Qarni, was arrested in 2017 when the new crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, took over the reins of the kingdom.

Al-Qarni is a Saudi preacher and academic who has written several books on Islamic jurisprudence and the Palestinian issue. He worked at the Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh and the King Khalid University.

The professor had been critical of Saudi Arabian authorities and openly expressed solidarity with Palestinians. Court documents shared by his son, Nasser Al-Qarni, reveal that the kingdom has criminalised the use of social media.

The documents revealed that the professor "admitted" that he had a social media account under his own name and used it "at every opportunity...to express his opinions." And that he "admitted" taking part in a chat on WhatsApp which lauded the Muslim Brotherhood.

Nasser himself has fled to the UK and is currently seeking asylum, according to a report in The Guardian. The professor is not the only one who was arrested for putting out their views on social media.

Last year, Salma al-Shehab, a Leeds PhD student, was jailed for 34 years for having a Twitter account and for following and retweeting dissidents.

Execution as a form of punishment continues in the kingdom despite promises by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to reform their justice system. Several human rights organisations have condemned Saudi Arabia's "execution spree," but to no avail.

"Mohammed bin Salman has repeatedly touted his vision of progress, committing to reducing executions and ending the death penalty for drug offences. But as a bloody year of executions draws to a close, the Saudi authorities have begun executing drug offenders again, in large numbers and in secret," said Maya Foa, director of Reprieve.