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Saudi Human Rights Lawyer Jailed 15 Years For 'Free-Speech' Under New "Anti-Terror" Laws
Submitted by Michael Krieger of Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,
Back in April, I published a post titled, Saudi Arabia Passes New Law that Declares Atheists “Terrorists.” In it, I highlighted an article from the UK Telegraph which noted:
In a string of royal decrees and an overarching new piece of legislation to deal with terrorism generally, the Saudi King Abdullah has clamped down on all forms of political dissent and protests that could “harm public order”.
The organization said the new “terrorism” provisions contain language that prosecutors and judges are already using to prosecute and convict independent activists and peaceful dissidents.
Concerns that this law would be used to silence dissent and crackdown on basic human rights were apparently well justified, as the Wall Street Journal reported today that a Saudi court has sentenced human rights lawyer and activist Waleed Abu Alkhair to 15 years in prison for “inciting public opinion,” i.e., effectively utilizing free speech. The WSJ reports that:
A Saudi court on Sunday sentenced prominent human rights lawyer and activist Waleed Abu Alkhair to 15 years in prison followed by an equally long travel ban on charges such as “insulting the general order of the state and its officials” and “inciting public opinion.”
Until he was arrested in April while on trial in Riyadh, Mr. Abu Alkhair, founder of the Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (MHRSA), has been a vocal critic of the government and called for major reforms in the kingdom including a constitutional monarchy.
The organization that he founded released a statement on Sunday night saying the latest sentence against him is “the price that Waleed Abu Alkhair has been expecting as a result of his peaceful demands and defense of human rights.”
The activist was convicted on charges of a new controversial antiterrorism law that was passed in February amid criticism by international human rights groups that the new law would be used to silence peaceful dissent.
“Saudi authorities have never tolerated criticism of their policies,” Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement in March, “but these recent laws and regulations turn almost any critical expression or independent association into crimes of terrorism.”
I tend to not focus my criticism on other nations due to the severe injustices being committed by my own country, but since Saudi Arabia is such a close U.S. ally, and also what is essentially a despotic Medieval Kingdom with highly suspicious links to the 9/11 attacks, I make a frequent exception in this case. No other nation exemplifies the immortality and hypocrisy of U.S. foreign policy as does our relationship with Saudi Arabia. For more on this topic, I suggest reading my post from last month: America’s Disastrous Foreign Policy – My Thoughts on Iraq.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia isn’t the only country in the region confronting a population entirely fed up with egregious corruption and an autocratic political structure. Kuwait is another geopolitical tinderbox about to explode. Al Jazeera reports that:
Kuwaiti police have fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of protesters in the capital demanding the release of Musallam al-Barrak, an opposition leader, and a purge of corrupt judges.
More than 2,000 people marched on Sunday from Kuwait City’s Grand Mosque after evening Ramadan prayers and into the old market, where police broke up the demonstration.
A picture was circulated on social media of activist Abdulhadi al-Hajeri in the back of an ambulance in a blood-soaked garment.
Hadeel Bugrais, a human rights activist , told the AP news agency that Hajeri was wounded when a tear gas canister hit him in the head.
The protesters are demanding the release of Barrak, who was detained in an investigation into allegations he insulted the judiciary.
Barrak revealed documents he alleges prove huge sums of illicit financial transfers were made to senior officials, including judges.
Barrak, who draws support from some of Kuwait’s powerful tribes, was sentenced to jail for insulting the emir in 2013.
We are currently living in one of the most interesting times in human history as we witness the transformation of society away from centralized, bureaucratic structures, into decentralized, networked organization. It’s imperative that each and every one of us does everything he or she can to make this revolutionary transition as painless as possible.
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insulting the general order inciting public opinion and he gets 15 years.
fuck
good job waleed did not fart in the jewish saudi kings general direction that would be worth a 100 years or maybe a beheading.
The House of Saud is a force for evil.
(The Nazis here may just work for them.)
Remember kids, the Top Gun pilots on 9/11 were "all from Saudi Arabia".
...and remember kids, there were many Saudis spirited out of the country by your dear, non-false flag employing .gov so they could not be questioned or arrested.
Say, kids, did not the same thing happen after the Boston Bombing?
Such a tragic day (stares at the ground).... That poor Jeff Bauman, having his legs blowed off (again). The heroes present, such as "the cowboy", well, they performed the only sensible first-aid procedure and put him in a wheelchair. Because, when you have your legs blowed off, basic physics dictates that you should have your gaping wounds below what little blood is left in your body. Come on people, please.
Yep, it's pretty clear that Boston was bullshit. The flags for me were the Craft boyz and the matching backpack and the vertical 'poof' from the dumpsters and the handicapped people pre-positioned, and then a cornucopia of bloopers surfaced. Of course, ten thousand troops putting an entire city of roughly half a million in lockdown within two hours was a pretty big tell. The streets were deserted. It was all preplanned -- a test to see if they could do it, and to see how the public would react. You couldn't assemble so much manpower in anything less than two days under legitimate spontaneous circumstances, and even that would be a heckuva logistical and communications achievement. Planning for what we actually saw took weeks, training everybody, deciding where they would be stationed and deployed, accommodations, meals, transportation, who would patrol what neighborhood, media spin, et cetera. More likely, it was like planning for the Olympics and was on the drawing board for at least 2-3 years. What's remarkable in retrospect is the lack of whistleblowers. The level of fear and/or mind control must be incredible. Rgds
They pay those crisis actors like, $20.50/hr or so, so you know, they's lips is sealed.
Worked there for several years and did not dare to put a foot wrong. US embassy provided fliers stating nothing they could do if ran afoul of authorities. Always at risk and if unfortunate enough to wind up in their jails better have someone to provide food as they did not. As I was told before going there, Saudi is the ass hole of the world.
the house of saud is a jewish mi6 operation just sayin
The jews control you Tony. All the spying, the black ops, the secrecy and evil is all about you. They are after you
Just sayin
We need to look into what area of the Talmud he digressed/
I hear they are using our Patriot Act
Saudirealis ................. uh raaaaaaaaaaaah
The fucker was probably and undercover Shite
I'm glad we live under Rule of Law, and that OUR Govt. doesn't have that kind of power...Wait...OH SHIT!
Ex-fucking-actly. Only in the West they are smarter about it, censoring surreptitiously instead of being upfront about their totalitarianism. Silencing instead of jailing.
For anyone who doubts what I say, try exercising your freedom of speech against rich powerful criminals sometime and see what happens.
If you live in Australia, for example, your blog can be magically disappeared without you ever knowing who did it.
Dr Benway OT - wondering if its possible to get you to comment on the censoring on an alternative Aussie site a few of us contribute to called fairdinkumradio.com?
UselessEater, I would love to, though I hadn't even heard of this censorship before, just as they intended I'm sure.. Please do explain what happened?
What can I say generally? On the topic of censorship, I'm with John Stuart Mills. No matter how outrageous an opinion is in the eyes of the majority, let it be discussed.
can I chat through your blog? I read it but do not log in.
I don't think it has that functionality, altho I'm not sure.. Can you send me a message through ZH?
Damn this chat stuff is beyond my ken.
2drillengineering at the google mail thingy ;)
18 U.S. Code § 2385 - Advocating overthrow of Government (formerly the Smith Act)
"Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or
Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or
Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof--"
Or
From the Declaration of Independence
"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--"
In essence, if not in fact, § 2385 nullifies the very actions our founding fathers felt compelled to take in the face of tyranny. "Insulting the general order of the state and its officials” and “inciting public opinion" were two objectives achieved as a result of the Declaration.
Alaric, or depending on the interpretation, maybe there's about 537 SOBs in DC that should be on trial for violating 18 U.S. Code § 2385 (more if you include SCOTUS).
U.S. Constitution
Article I, Section 6
They (Congress) shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
Arrest them for breach of the peace.
"breach of the peace n. any act which disturbs the public or even one person. It can include almost any criminal act causing fear or attempting intimidation."
I'm no lawyer, but that " except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace" would not be a very difficult case to present against many/most of them. PS thanks for those posts. You are likely familiar with these too.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/civilrights/federal-statutes/#se...
The more corrupt, the more laws. Just that simple.
Good post AB. That was then and this is now.
What a difference 164 years makes. (The Smith Act containing 2385 was passed in 1940)
Lookie Looky, da Joos won't jail peaceful protesters in the stolen lands, but rule with an iron fist in the Family Saud's litter box. My my
One flew over the Falcon's nest...
falconflight Lookie Looky, da Joos won't jail peaceful protesters in the stolen lands, but rule with an iron fist in the Family Saud's litter box. My my
----
This stolen land thing is getting so old. Get a life flightless. Every land is stolen. If you own land, it was stolen if you go back far enough in history. Stolen lands are part of the rewards for the victor of war. Get over it. If the Israelis are destroyed and someone else takes over, then it is stolen land AGAIN. Get the point? Foolish anti semite.
"told the AP news agency that Hajeri was wounded when a tear gas canister hit him in the head."
Video or it didn't happen.
Cmmunism and Islam are two worse thing human has ever invented.
Go to any college campus in the US and you'll get a different top two. Democracy and Capitalism.
Islam and Communism are SOOOO "in" right now. Just look at the guy in the White House. He's got 'em both covered.
Fuck democracy.
Please elaborate.
You have to have democracy before you can fuck it. No one in the west seems to have realised that their political systems are not democracies. Silly sheeps.
Weird, our basic law, that everyone learns of in grade school here, is pretty formal. We do not have a democracy and shouldn't want one, because they lead to tyranny every fucking time.
Like I said, fuck democracy. And fuck you down voters, go fucking drown yourselves.
It is a farcical, fallacious, failed paradigm at this point. Are 'the people' really in charge in america? No. At some point in a countries democratic life cycle, totalitarianism will rear its ugly head because humans are fallible and those awarded powers invariably succumb to greed and oppression. To think a true democracy can work; that is, to expect those in power to act mercifully and in the best interests of those they govern is too simplistic and sentimental a view of human nature, and it doesnt reflect long term reality.
The design in the constitution thwarts the terrible tyrannical excesses of democracy. If only we would go back to using it, we would have less tyranny here. We don't have a democracy and must avoid such at all cost. All cost.
Please go fuck yourself.
Well the skort is pretty lame as well; you think "Hot Damn! Mini-skirt! But no, she's wearing a skort.
Well those things and bad spelling/grammar are the worst things humans ever invented.
Incorrect. The two worst things that humans ever created were the ideas of an all knowing god and the concept of government. Both these things only exist in people's minds but have brought more death and destruction to the species than any disease or natural disaster.
Nothing wrong with God or government a priori. It's psychopaths hijacking the institutions that are the problem.
In that day those the LORD has slaughtered will fill the earth from one end to the other. No one will mourn for them or gather up their bodies to bury them. They will be scattered like dung on the ground. - Jeremiah 25:33
Nothing wrong with God, nothing to see here, move along.
Lol @ downvotes. It's your bloody book wot said it!
Ok, ok, maybe I took that one out of context. Let's balance things up...
Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel. - Deuteronomy 17:12
Hmm... not so good. Oh, oh, I know...
A priest's daughter who loses her honor by committing fornication and thereby dishonors her father also, shall be burned to death. - Leviticus 21:9
Mmm... maybe not, how about some New Testament stuff?
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. - Ephesians 6:5
Wait, what?
Sounds like the Bible is bucking for a Nobel Peace Prize.
The religious fucktard shave hijacked this site. Just about time to abandon this ship.
THERE IS NO FUCKING GOD YOU FUCKING RETARDS.
Get over it.
Everything wrong with it you fairy tale believing violence loving subhuman fucktard. Go drown in a septic tank.
He is A Saudi, he deserves it, trust me on this.
Saudi Arabia is not a close ally of the United States or the people of the United States. They are the main sponsors of the religious nutzos that kill us, remember. Saudi Arabia is a close ally of Washington, not the people of the United States. Two distinct groups with different desires and processes of thinking.
Thank you. Absolutely correct.
And they are SOOO pissed that Obama couldn't get the war in Syria off the ground (on their behalf) they're absolutely beside themselves.
"We are currently living in one of the most interesting times in human history"
Chinese curse #3: May you live in interesting times.
Chinese curse #2: May the government become aware of you.
Chinese curse #1: May you find what you are looking for.
Strike two for Alkhair. May God bless him on his journey.
These are all excellent, thanks
Not Chinese, but good nevertheless.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_you_live_in_interesting_times
http://www.answers.com/topic/may-you-live-in-interesting-times#Origins
Not surprising. Have you ever tried to run dowsn the genesis of the 100th monkey? Every time I see a reference to the source of the myth it's a different explanation.
(Edit: Oh my. This post is already cached on google, The text of my curse comment was added within 3 hours. The google bots must like ZH.)
Hey, I'll take the apocryphal but meaningful over the well-provenanced but inane, any day.
I especially like the last one; "May you find what you are looking for".
Heavy spoilers ahead, so "Don't Look Now" unless you've seen the movie already:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C-Y3oX5PyQ
Saudis fund and arm ISIS, Saudi Arabia America's second biggest friend in Middle East, Saudis fly airplanes into Twin Towers.
Do you ever get the idea that the US doesn't have a fucking clue what they are doing, or even trying to do?
USA offers 1/2 a billion dollars in arms to Syrian rebels a.k.a. Al-Qaeda and ISIS. WTF?! NATO nation Turkey runs Al-Qaeda traing camps on Syrian border, spending Saudi money to arm Al-Qaeda, while US CIA trains them. ISIS was trained by the US in Jordan to unseat Assad, Assad defeats Al-Qaeda and ISIS so they move to Iraq and conquer half of it with their US trained terrorists. Obama sends troops, Iran sends fighters, both claim to want to defend Iraq.
NSA spies on ZH posters. The real terrorists , the American people. Government trashes constitution for fear Americans will use their freedoms to become terrorists against the bankers.
WHo would have thought!
Jim Willie's take is that the reason US foreign policy is so deranged is that the Pentagon and CIA are actually fighting each other. Literally.
Pfft! Our own, internal, pettty squabbles would never cloud our judgement for the greater good.
/sarc
my guess would be the CIA and high ranking Military vs the NSA and the state dept.
I can believe that Buckaroo! Oh, great movie by the way. Have you caught mine? "Big Trouble In Little China?"
What's so confusing? The Saudis promised us oil and global rule in return for their ascendancy over the middle east. We do what we're told in that region.
Such a law can easily be created by Executive Order here in America, and then what can Zero Hedge and the like do for disturbing the public order by exposing the criminal Washington Wall Street Banking cartel and their abuse of "America" for personal gain?
Why single out the Saudi ? Look around, it is everywhere. Anytime someone grabs power he will not let go and will use all means possible to hold on. The human race sucks.
15-17 years from now, artificial intelligence will reach the point of thinking like a human being. Whoever controls it controls the world. May be peace will come at that time. Or may be someone or some country will control it and oppress the rest , forever !
Obama should try this in Iraq - just sign an Executive Order that ISIS must stop or else they will 'harm the public order'.
OT. Looks like a possible murder/suicide of a JPMorgan employee in NJ this weekend ..... Get on it ASAP Tyler !!!
According to Julian Knott's LinkedIn profile, he worked for JPMorgan Chase for several years, most recently as the executive director of its Global Network Operations Center in Whippany. Prior to that, he held various IT positions with JPMorgan Chase and other companies.
Staffers at the Whippany office and a spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase's corporate headquarters declined comment to NJ.com Monday. A spokeswoman for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage told the Star-Ledger Sunday Alita Knott has worked as a sales associate in the Chester/Hackettstown Office for less than a year, and expressed condolences but declined further comment.
Life isn't very joyful without a soul. Can't say I blame these banksters.
As the world slips out of the grasp of the MIC/Political-Elite, propaganda/coercion machine.
The increasingly desperate Surveillence State is working harder to maintain it's grasp.
The natural limits of its competence means it will lose this fight, but we are currently in the middle of its scramble and struggle to retain relevance and power.
It is a forgone conclusion regarding the outcome - the only question is what the final cost will be.
Chinese curse #2: May the government become aware of you.
We got that one covered
What is your beef with me I still don't understand it. I get hacked and stalked for months I most likely lose my job because of the hackers. For some reason this site is made aware of who I am by said hackers Yes it's me the guy you all love to hate for what reason I still don't understand.
So I noticed this earlier today but too busy to post. The Iraqi general who was 'martyred on the field of battle' today....as reported on BBC and elsewhere was 'West of Baghdad where ISIS has taken Falluja and Ramadi.' So they said. I got curious and whipped out the maps.....
The town where the general was killed (by shelling) is called Ibrahim bin Ali. Guess what you get with a quick gargle search? A Washington Post article about Baghdad regional security ops from 2007, dateline Ibrahim bin Ali. No shit, U.S, troops were marching around this same town, a 'Sunni stronghold in the northern suburbs of Baghdad.' Now I can find it on the map since it's nowhere near Falluja etc.
You can easily fit Ibrahim bin Ali and the U.S. embassy in downtown Baghdad on a zoomed in map. They are only a few miles apart. There is a more accurate Reuters story out as well, about the incident today.
One of these days, very soon, the embassy will be taking a lot of incoming and everyone will act all shocked. Don't be. An Iraqi general in the field was killed, today, less than ten miles from the Green Zone.
Links for proof:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28193529
Maj Gen Sudani was killed in fighting in the Ibrahim bin Ali area west of Baghdad where government troops have been facing Sunni militants who seized the towns of Falluja and Ramadi in January.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/07/us-iraq-security-commander-idU...
Ali was killed "when mortar rounds fell" in the Ibrahim Bin Ali area, about 16 km (10 miles) northwest of Baghdad, the office of Maliki's military spokesman said later.
Ibrahim Bin Ali has been fought over for months because of its proximity to Shi'ite districts of Baghdad.
Interesting. So that massive fortress with the McDonald's outlet may soon provide comfortable living quarters for CIASIS. Might have to change a few names on the doors.
So that's what this is all about, franchise rights? Well then, let's go to woar!
Death to the two for a dollar sasuage biscuit.
"We are currently living in one of the most interesting times in human history as we witness the transformation of society away from centralized, bureaucratic structures, into decentralized, networked organization"
! I'm packing my bags Mike. Which planet did you say you were on?
Americas evil dysfunctional twin proxies in the region, SA and ...... will prove to be more trouble than they are worth imho.
He hated their freedom. Some just don't understand
Saudi Arabia Passes New Law that Declares Atheists “Terrorists.”
I guess that atheists are to be blamed for the exploding cars.
Contrary to most comments here, I'd say they are actually doing the right thing.
You have to be very careful to read such an article, as it's written in Collonial English.
Freedom of press means writing opinions favorable to western propagandists. If you haven't seen what the western terrorists do in Ukraine or all the African 'democracy' revolutions, you're not paying attention. Saudis are smart in that they know who they are dealing with and want to nip that shit in the bud.
Mugabe speaks and writes anti-colonial English which might please you.
Either way it all reads as genocide in English.
BTW its the same ultimate puppet masters yanking all our chains so we should read everything carefully.
Yep they are pulling out all the stops right down to biological weapons of warfare which was a big no no aka weaponized children. Microbes don't care what religion, political affiliation, race etc you are.
And the supposed protectors of the people aka the ones with badges and uniforms don't do shit about it....
This place is fucked because the people are by and large useless and don't do anything. You can't help those that won't help themselves. Trying to save people from their own stupidity and ignorance is ultimately a losing proposition. All you can do is point it out and hope they get it before it is too late. Once that happens then you can help.
"Help" these assholes, really?
We should immediatly withdraw all support from these mutations. They marry 3 year old girls. They have slaves. I don't care what kind of "real politic" you practice, we should have drawn the line at these two facts. The fact that we support slave holding royalists, and slave holding Israel, for that matter, IS WRONG.
Coming to you too. Is the patriot act not ready for this yet?
"We are currently living in one of the most interesting times in human history as we witness the transformation of society away from centralized, bureaucratic structures, into decentralized, networked organization."
Uh?? I see exactly the opposite happening. We may be living in times where populations are trying to go down this road, but in virtually all cases the political and ruling elites are introducing ever more layers of laws to protect themselves and to quell dissent, often resulting in the human carnage we see on our TV screens. As we know, this is not just happening in places like Saudi but in the US, UK & Europe.
The old order is engulfed in criminality, corruption and incompetence but they won't go quietly.
Agree. Networks aren't decentralized. They are fully controlled.
The Saudi people are deluded...by their masters. Well, not really. The people KNOW they are fucked. Ask a 20 something Saudi about his "job".
this is what the maggots want for the usa
He's lucky he wasn't beheaded. They have "A Guy For That", who has a special sword, designed specifically for the purpose.
I'd really like to care about blogger rights in Saudi Arabia, but I'm late for my "Spanish for Unemployed Real Americans" class.
He is the pope of Islam you know.