- A journalist, Alaa Brinji, was sentenced to five-year jail time for tweeting against the government
- Amnesty International condemned this, saying it was a clear violation of international law
- Brinji is a journalist in Saudi Arabia
Human rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) condemned the sentence given to a Saudi Arabian journalist for his anti-government tweets.
In a statement posted on its website, AI said that the sentence of five-year imprisonment and eight years of travel ban is a “clear violation of international law and the latest demonstration of the Saudi Arabian authorities’ deep-seated intolerance of the right to peaceful expression.”
Alaa Brinji has reportedly been in jail for two years but his sentence was filed on Thursday, March 24 for his tweets that seemed to insult Saudi’s rulers, which have “incited public opinion.” He was also accused of “accusing security officers of killing protestors in Awamiyya,” an Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia.
Alaa, a “respected journalist,” according to AI, was arrested almost two years ago in May 2014. During his detainment, he has not been granted a lawyer – a strong violation of human rights.
AI’s Deputy Director for Middle East and North Africa Programme James Lynch said, “The sentencing of Alaa Brinji to a five-year prison term is utterly shameful. He is the latest victim of Saudi Arabia’s ruthless crackdown on peaceful dissent, where the aim appears to be to completely wipe out any and all voices of criticism.”
“Putting someone behind bars for peacefully exercising his legitimate right to freedom of expression, and defending the rights of others to do so, is a complete distortion of the very notion of justice. The authorities must ensure his conviction is quashed and release him immediately and unconditionally.”
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