News / Saudi Arabia

Top Saudi court hands down death sentence to Shia activist from Qatif

Monday, 29 July 2019 5:46 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 29 July 2019 6:08 PM ]

This poster shows imprisoned Saudi activist Ali Al Rabie with a sentence reading “They (Saudi authorities) do not get tired of bloodshed in Qatif” in Arabic. (Photo via Twitter)

Saudi Arabia's Specialized Criminal Court has sentenced an anti-regime activist from the kingdom’s oil-rich and Shia-populated Eastern Province to death, as a crackdown led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman against pro-democracy campaigners, Muslim preachers and intellectuals continues in the country.

On Monday, the Riyadh-based tribunal found Ali Al Rabie guilty in a “sham hearing” that fell short of international fair trial standards, London-based and Arabic-language Nabaa television news network reported.

The report came as Saudi authorities executed two of Ali’s brothers, Ahmad and Hossein, on April 23 over their political activism.

#السعودية | أعدم النظام أخَويه واغتال ثالثاً.. حكم بإعدام علي آل ربيع من #القطيف https://t.co/swKRIsXsVY #العوامية #المنطقة_الشرقية pic.twitter.com/LDIBsXDZBO
— قناة نبأ الفضائية (@nabaatv) July 29, 2019

Regime forces killed Ali's younger brother, Thamer, when they raided al-Awamiyah town situated in the al-Qatif region of Eastern Province.

Eastern Province has been the scene of peaceful demonstrations since February 2011. Protesters have been demanding reforms, freedom of expression, the release of political prisoners, and an end to economic and religious discrimination against the oil-rich region.

The protests have been met with a heavy-handed crackdown by the regime, with regime forces increasing security measures across the province.

Informed sources, requesting anonymity, said on July 15 that a young Saudi man died more than a week after being injured by regime forces when they raided a district in the province.

PressTV-‘Saudi youth succumbs to wounds sustained in Qatif raid’

A young Saudi man has died of injuries he suffered after regime forces raided al-Jash district in al-Qatif region.

Majid Abdullah al-Adam died ten days after regime forces, armed with heavy weapons and artillery launchers, stormed into the al-Jash district of Qatif onboard armored vehicles.

The sources added that the forces fired indiscriminately, inflicting damage on many houses and buildings. Adam suffered critical injuries during the raid.