A Saudi court sentenced a student to 34 years in prison for '
providing aid
', via her tweets, to political opponents who seek to '
disturb public order
', according to a court document seen by AFP Wednesday August 17.
The London-based human rights organization ALQST denounced in a statement "
the longest prison sentence ever imposed by the Saudi authorities on a peaceful activist
" in a context of "
already excessively harsh repression
".
Twitter posts
An appeals court sentenced Salma al-Chehab to 34 years in prison, along with a ban on leaving her country for a similar period after her release from detention, according to a judgment handed down on August 9 and of which AFP was able view a copy on Wednesday.
This mother of two was found guilty of “
providing assistance to those who seek to disturb public order and spread false and malicious information
”, by “
writing and posting tweets
” on her account personal.
A doctoral student in dentistry at the University of Leeds in England, Salma Al-Chehab was arrested in January 2021 while on vacation in Saudi Arabia.
In June 2022, a court had sentenced her at first instance to six years in prison, three of which were suspended, a sentence considerably increased a few days ago.
The judgment on appeal can be challenged within 30 days before the Supreme Court.
Womens rights
With around 2,600 Twitter followers, 34-year-old Salma Al-Chehab regularly posted messages in favor of women's rights in the ultra-conservative kingdom.
She "
did not think that her activity on Twitter could cause her any problems
", told AFP a friend of the young woman, who requested anonymity.
"
We were surprised by his arrest
."
Read alsoSaudi Arabia: the family of a death row inmate challenges Lionel Messi
Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has given new rights to women, such as driving or traveling alone.
However, the kingdom is regularly singled out by NGOs for serious human rights violations, including its crackdown on political dissidents and feminist activists.