Two Saudi Shia Muslims sentenced to 17 years in prison

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A Saudi special court has sentenced two Shiite men to eight and nine years in jail, respectively, for taking part in peaceful protests in Eastern Province, SPA state news agency said on Friday.

The first defendant was found guilty of joining three protests in the town of Awamiya, in the province's Shiite Al-Qatif region, it said.

He was also found guilty of having “anti-kingdom and anti-rulers pictures on his mobile phone... and of knowing dissidents in Qatif and covering up their activities”.

The second defendant, who was sentenced to nine years, was found guilty of taking part in “most demonstrations” in Qatif.

He was also convicted of “surfing dissident Internet websites, and posting statements inciting opposition to the rulers... as well as calling for the release of prisoners”, SPA said.

The two defendants and the prosecution have decided to appeal the verdicts, it said.

There are an estimated two million Shiites in the Saudi Arabia of around 27.5 million people.

Anti-government protests have intensified since November 2011, when security forces opened fire on protestors in Qatif, killing five people and leaving scores more injured.

Activists say there are over 40,000 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia, many of them being held without trial or charges.

In October 2012, Amnesty International called on the Saudi authorities to stop using excessive force against pro-democracy protestors.

“The Saudi authorities must end their repeated moves to stifle people’s attempts to protest against the widespread use of arbitrary detention in the country,” Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s director for the Middle East and North Africa, said on October 16.

“The right of people to peaceful protest must be respected and the security forces must refrain from detaining or using excessive force against people who exercise it,” he added.

/129