Saudi prosecutors call for death penalty for Shia activist

The head of the Berlin-based European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights Ali Adubisi wrote on Twitter on Monday that Saudi prosecutors have called for the death penalty for Shia activist Mohamed Issa Al-Labbad over his peaceful activities in defence of political detainees and his leadership of human rights protests.

النيابة العامة في #السعودية تطالب بإعدام المدافع عن حقوق الإنسان محمد عيسى آل لباد @mohmeed_e على خلفية أنشطة سلمية في الدفاع عن المعتقلين وقيادة مظاهرات تطالب بالحقوق المدنية والسياسية.

— علي الدبيسي (@ali_adubisi) July 29, 2019

In August 2017 Al-Labbad and others turned themselves in after their names appeared on a list of 23 Saudis wanted by security authorities. The Ministry of Interior had said at the time that their taking the initiative to turn themselves in would be “taken into consideration” in its dealings with them.

ESOHR’s Adubisi said that after Al-Labbad turned himself in the government started harassing those close to the Shia activist, preventing them from accessing public services and keeping them feeling threatened. This was only two months after Mohamed Bin Salman became crown prince.

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