Over the weekend, I published a post titled Al Jazeera Presenter to Saudi Ambassador – “Why Support Democracy in Syria but Not Saudi Arabia?” in which the Saudi Ambassador claimed subjects of Saudi Arabia don’t want or need elections because they are so enamored with the absolute monarchy’s management of society. Yes, and I just had lunch with the Easter Bunny.
Here’s the clip if you missed it:
I asked the Saudi ambassador to the UN why he supports democracy in Syria but not in Saudi Arabia – @AJUpFront clip:https://t.co/bblCAHCdZS
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) March 25, 2016
Not that you need additional evidence demonstrating the ridiculousness of his answer, but I’ll provide some anyway. Reuters reports:
Saudi Arabia has sentenced a journalist to five years in jail for insulting the kingdom’s rulers and “inciting public opinion” on Twitter, Amnesty International said.
Amnesty described the sentencing of Alaa Brinji on Thursday as “a clear violation of international law” and said it showed intolerance of the right to peaceful expression.
With allies like these…
Officials at Saudi Arabia’s Justice Ministry could not be reached for comment over the weekend.
Against the background of regional turmoil, the ultra conservative Sunni Muslim country has issued tougher penalties against all forms of dissent.
The sentencing against Brinji, who worked for Saudi Arabian newspapers al-Bilad, Okaz and al-Sharq, came after a guilty verdict on March 24, Amnesty said.
Brinji was arrested in May 2014 and has been in detention since, according to Amnesty. He had also been accused of apostasy – abandoning his Muslim faith – a crime which carries the death penalty but was not convicted of this due to a lack of evidence, Amnesty said.
In February a Saudi court commuted the death sentence against a Palestinian poet convicted of apostasy, to eight years’ jail and 800 lashes, according to his lawyer.
In 2014, a Saudi court in Riyadh sentenced three lawyers to up to eight years in jail after they criticized the Justice Ministry on Twitter.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the barbarism of the Saudi royal family.
For example:
The New York Post Reports – FBI is Covering Up Saudi Links to 9/11 Attack
German Intelligence Warns – Saudi Arabia to Play “Destabilizing Role” in the Middle East
A Look Inside Saudi Arabia’s Elaborate U.S. Propaganda Machine
Saudi Arabia Sentences Poet to Death for “Renouncing Islam”
So Who’s Really Sponsoring ISIS? Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Other U.S. “Allies”
Saudi Arabia Bombs Second Yemeni Wedding in a Week – At Least 23 Dead
Saudi Arabia Prepares to Execute Teenager via “Crucifixion” for Political Dissent
In Liberty,
Michael Krieger
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i love this video , it speaks a million words, you gotta keep reposting it. it would be even more hilarious if someone video editted animations in it showing, shit coming out of the guys mouth and pants as he just disregards (he cannot even deny!) the hypocrisy out of his own mouth that he is being confronted with. it’s really pretty amazing.
thanks so much for your website it aids a lot. LOVE!