Saudi Arabia: Lawyer sentenced for signing petition


Issue 958 - 14 Nov 2013 | 1 minute read

Saudi human rights lawyer Waleed Abu Al-Khair was sentenced to three months in prison by a court in Jeddah on 29 October for signing a pro-reform petition (GSN 956/7). According to rights groups, the charge stems from his signature on a statement that criticised the authorities’ heavy-handed treatment of reformists. Among Abu Al-Khair’s clients is Raif Badawi, who was sentenced in July to seven years in jail and 600 lashes for violating Islamic values (GSN 952/6, 939/6). Abu Al-Khair is expected to appeal against the conviction.

Want to read more?

Subscribe to Gulf States Newsletter

View subscription options

Join our community

Sign up for an account to gain:

  • Set up news alerts on the countries and sectors that matter to you.
  • Free access to newsletter articles under 100 words.
  • Free access to GSN View articles articles.


View a selection of Free articles

Explore subscription options

Follow us on Google News