RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor is seeking the demise penalty in opposition to prominent Islamist preacher Salman al-Awdah on terrorism-related charges, activists and his family mentioned on Tuesday.
The 37 charges in opposition to the 61-year-old cleric within the Specialized Criminal Court come with spreading discord and incitement in opposition to the ruler, in step with London-based Saudi rights team ALQST and different activists.
Awdah's son, Abdullah, confirmed the court docket proceedings and mentioned the accusations in opposition to his father integrated essential tweets and establishing an organisation in Kuwait for protecting the Prophet Mohammad.
Amnesty International's Saudi Arabia campaigner Dana Ahmed referred to as the studies "a disturbing trend in the Kingdom (that) sends a horrifying message that peaceful dissent and expression may be met with the death penalty."
A central authority communications place of work did not instantly respond to a request for comment.
Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy the place public protests and political parties are banned, has witnessed a crackdown on dissent, with dozens of clerics, intellectuals and activists arrested prior to now 12 months, even as the government enacted some high-profile social and financial reforms.
A roundup of senior royals, ministers and businessmen last November on charges of corruption despatched shockwaves through the kingdom, shocking allies and international traders. Most of the ones detainees had been released after reaching undisclosed monetary settlements with the federal government.
Awdah, whom U.N. professionals have described as a "reformist" and an influential spiritual determine who has advised larger admire for human rights inside Sharia, was once arrested in Sept. 2017.
He had in the past criticised the federal government however more recently kept silent or failed to publicly back Saudi policies, together with a rift with Qatar over supporting the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Al Saud family has always seemed Islamist teams as the most important inside risk to its rule over a rustic during which appeals to spiritual sentiment cannot be flippantly disregarded and an al Qaeda marketing campaign a decade ago killed loads.
In the 1990s, the Brotherhood-inspired Sahwa (Awakening) movement demanded political reforms that may have weakened the ruling family. Awdah, a Sahwa chief, was once imprisoned from 1994-99 for agitating for political alternate. Criticism of the ruling family earned him praise from Osama bin Laden, whom he eventually denounced.
The Sahwa movement was once later undermined by a mixture of repression and co-optation. Some clerics, alternatively, maintained large followings thru YouTube sermons. Awdah has 14 million Twitter fans.
In 2011, he referred to as for elections and separation of powers, principles antithetical to strict Islamist ideology. He has since been in large part quiet on issues of home reform.
The government advisable the demise penalty last month for five human rights activists from the kingdom's Eastern Province, together with Israa al-Ghomgham, the first lady to perhaps face that punishment for rights-related paintings.
The 37 charges in opposition to the 61-year-old cleric within the Specialized Criminal Court come with spreading discord and incitement in opposition to the ruler, in step with London-based Saudi rights team ALQST and different activists.
Awdah's son, Abdullah, confirmed the court docket proceedings and mentioned the accusations in opposition to his father integrated essential tweets and establishing an organisation in Kuwait for protecting the Prophet Mohammad.
Amnesty International's Saudi Arabia campaigner Dana Ahmed referred to as the studies "a disturbing trend in the Kingdom (that) sends a horrifying message that peaceful dissent and expression may be met with the death penalty."
A central authority communications place of work did not instantly respond to a request for comment.
Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy the place public protests and political parties are banned, has witnessed a crackdown on dissent, with dozens of clerics, intellectuals and activists arrested prior to now 12 months, even as the government enacted some high-profile social and financial reforms.
A roundup of senior royals, ministers and businessmen last November on charges of corruption despatched shockwaves through the kingdom, shocking allies and international traders. Most of the ones detainees had been released after reaching undisclosed monetary settlements with the federal government.
Awdah, whom U.N. professionals have described as a "reformist" and an influential spiritual determine who has advised larger admire for human rights inside Sharia, was once arrested in Sept. 2017.
He had in the past criticised the federal government however more recently kept silent or failed to publicly back Saudi policies, together with a rift with Qatar over supporting the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Al Saud family has always seemed Islamist teams as the most important inside risk to its rule over a rustic during which appeals to spiritual sentiment cannot be flippantly disregarded and an al Qaeda marketing campaign a decade ago killed loads.
In the 1990s, the Brotherhood-inspired Sahwa (Awakening) movement demanded political reforms that may have weakened the ruling family. Awdah, a Sahwa chief, was once imprisoned from 1994-99 for agitating for political alternate. Criticism of the ruling family earned him praise from Osama bin Laden, whom he eventually denounced.
The Sahwa movement was once later undermined by a mixture of repression and co-optation. Some clerics, alternatively, maintained large followings thru YouTube sermons. Awdah has 14 million Twitter fans.
In 2011, he referred to as for elections and separation of powers, principles antithetical to strict Islamist ideology. He has since been in large part quiet on issues of home reform.
The government advisable the demise penalty last month for five human rights activists from the kingdom's Eastern Province, together with Israa al-Ghomgham, the first lady to perhaps face that punishment for rights-related paintings.
Saudi Arabia seeks death penalty for preacher Awdah - activists, family
![Saudi Arabia seeks death penalty for preacher Awdah - activists, family]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
September 04, 2018
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