Saudi Arabia Executes Journalist After 7 Years in Jail

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    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A Saudi journalist, who faced arrest in 2018 and was subsequently convicted on charges of terrorism and treason, has been executed, confirmed by Saudi authorities. Advocacy groups argue that the charges were fabricated.

    Turki Al-Jasser, who was in his late forties, was executed on Saturday as reported by the Saudi Press Agency, following the affirmation of his death sentence by the Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia.

    The arrest of Al-Jasser in 2018 included a raid on his residence, where authorities confiscated his electronic devices. Details about the trial venue or its duration remain undisclosed.

    According to the Committee to Protect Journalists based in New York, Saudi officials accused Al-Jasser of managing a social media account on X (formerly Twitter), which allegedly published allegations of corruption involving Saudi royals. Furthermore, Al-Jasser’s account was said to contain contentious posts concerning militants and affiliated groups.

    CPJ’s program director, Carlos Martínez de la Serna, condemned the execution. He noted that the absence of accountability in the assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 in Istanbul has led to persistent targeting of journalists in Saudi Arabia.

    “The international community’s failure to deliver justice for Jamal Khashoggi did not just betray one journalist,” he stated, highlighting that it had empowered Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to continue his war against the press.

    Jeed Basyouni from Reprieve, an organization focusing on campaigning against the death penalty globally, remarked that Al-Jasser’s execution emphasized the lethal risk of challenging the policies or authority of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia. Basyouni underscored that Al-Jasser was covertly tried for his journalistic pursuits.

    An assassination squad killed Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. U.S. intelligence agencies hold that the Saudi crown prince orchestrated the operation, though the Saudi government refutes his involvement.

    From 2013 to 2015, Al-Jasser operated a personal blog, renowned for his insights on the Arab Spring, women’s rights, and corruption – movements and issues markedly impacting the Middle Eastern landscape in 2011.

    Saudi Arabia has faced international scrutiny from human rights organizations for its execution practices, which include both beheadings and mass executions. In 2024, the number of executions reached 330, cited by activists and rights entities, showcasing the kingdom’s strict stance on dissent.

    Recently, a British analyst with Bank of America was sentenced to ten years imprisonment in Saudi Arabia, reportedly linked to a deleted social media post, his lawyer mentioned.

    In 2021, Saad Almadi, holding dual Saudi and American citizenship, was detained and sentenced to over 19 years for terrorism-related charges, with dubious origins traced to tweets made while he resided in the United States. Although released in 2023, he remains prohibited from leaving the country.