The recent death sentence handed down to a retired teacher who expressed criticism of human rights violations on social media sheds light on the alarming extent

of repression prevailing within the kingdom.

Amid the myriad of shocking penalties that have become synonymous with Saudi Arabia's rule under Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, a new pinnacle of severity has been reached. In July, Mohammed al-Ghamdi, a 54-year-old retired teacher, received a death sentence for posting messages on social media condemning human rights abuses within the kingdom.

This verdict, so severe that it could be misconstrued as a parody, was recently disclosed by Al-Qst, an NGO specializing in advocating for Saudi prisoners of conscience, and Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international human rights organization.

Previously, the most surreal instance of punishment issued by Saudi Arabia's judiciary was the sentencing, in August 2022, of Noura al-Qahtani, a literature professor, to 45 years in prison for critiquing the government on social media and expressing solidarity with Saudi prisoners of conscience. A few weeks prior, Salma al-Shehab, a medical student, was handed a sentence of 34 years in prison, later reduced to 27 years, for a comparable "offense."

Almost reminiscent of medieval absolutism, Joey Shea, a researcher at HRW, remarked, "Saudi Arabia's repression has now entered a profoundly disturbing phase, where a court can decree the death penalty for the mere act of posting peaceful tweets. The Saudi authorities have significantly escalated their crackdown against all forms of dissent, reaching a level that defies basic norms of human rights." Photo by Jason Howie, Wikimedia commons.