Saudi Court Sentences Retired Teacher to 30 Years in Prison for Government Criticism on Social Media

A retired Saudi teacher has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for criticizing the government on social media, just two months after his death sentence was overturned, according to his brother.

Mohammed al-Ghamdi, who was initially sentenced to death in July 2023, had his sentence reduced to imprisonment on appeal in August. His brother, Saeed al-Ghamdi, an Islamic scholar based in the UK, confirmed the news to AFP.

The death sentence had drawn significant attention, with critics accusing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of intensifying repression in the kingdom. In a September 2023 interview with Fox News, the crown prince expressed regret over the case, saying the government was “ashamed” of the outcome and hoped for a change in the ruling.

Mohammed al-Ghamdi, in his 50s, was arrested in June 2022. His case was handled by the Specialised Criminal Court, originally established to deal with terrorism-related cases. The charges stemmed from social media posts where he criticized the government and voiced support for jailed “prisoners of conscience” such as religious clerics Salman al-Awda and Awad al-Qarni. His account on X (formerly Twitter) had only nine followers when his legal troubles emerged, according to the Gulf Centre for Human Rights.

The charges against al-Ghamdi included conspiracy against the Saudi leadership, undermining state institutions, and promoting terrorist ideology. His brother Saeed decried the judicial process, stating on X that the sentence reflects the highly politicized nature of Saudi Arabia’s legal system, and maintaining his brother’s innocence.

Attempts to reach Saudi authorities for comment have so far been unsuccessful.

In a related case, another brother, 47-year-old Asaad al-Ghamdi, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for similar social media posts. There has been no update on whether his sentence will also be reconsidered.

While Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continues to drive the Vision 2030 reform initiative aimed at transforming Saudi Arabia into a global hub for tourism and business, the kingdom faces ongoing criticism for its human rights record, particularly regarding freedom of speech.