Saudi woman gets 45 years in prison for social media use

The sentence for Nourah bint Saeed al-Qahtani follows international outcry over a similar 34-year prison sentence handed to Salma al-Shehab, a Saudi doctoral student at Leeds University in England

A Saudi court has sentenced a woman to 45 years in prison for allegedly damaging the country through her social media activity, according to a court document obtained Wednesday. It was the second such sentence that has drawn scrutiny of the kingdom this month.

Little is known about Nourah bint Saeed al-Qahtani, who hails from one of the biggest tribes in Saudi Arabia and has no apparent history of activism. An official charge sheet seen by The Associated Press and human rights groups describes her case as involving her social media use, though Saudi officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The sentence follows international outcry over a similar 34-year prison sentence handed down to Salma al-Shehab, a Saudi doctoral student at Leeds University in England.

Earlier this month, a specialized criminal court delivered the 45-year sentence under the kingdom’s broad counterterrorism and cybercrime laws. That court, which normally handles political and national security cases, gave the sentence during Ms. al-Qahtani’s appeal of her earlier conviction.

Judges accused Ms. al-Qahtani of “disrupting the cohesion of society” and “destabilising the social fabric,” according to the charge sheet, citing her activity on social media. They alleged Ms. al-Qahtani “offended the public order through the information network.”

It remains unclear what Ms. al-Qahtani posted online or where her hearing was held. She was taken into custody on July 4, 2021, according to the Washington-based human rights watchdog Democracy for the Arab World Now, which is critical of the kingdom.

“This seems like the beginning of a new wave of sentences and convictions by new judges who have been placed in the specialised criminal court,” said Abdullah Alaoudh, DAWN’s regional director.