![Mohammed al-Rabiah [@thefreedomi/Twitter]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Mohammed-al-Rabiah.png?fit=920%2C613&ssl=1)
Saudi Arabia extended the prison sentence for activist, Mohammed al-Rabiah, right before the end of the term he is serving, sparing criticism by human rights organisations.
Authorities arrested Al-Rabiah on 15 May 2018 as part of a campaign of arrests targeting women, clerics and human rights defenders in the kingdom.
On 20 April 2021, the Specialised Criminal Court sentenced him to six and a half years in prison.
Al-Rabiah was due to be released in September, but was re-tried just before his expected release date and sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) denounced the Saudi judiciary’s decision, explaining that “Al-Rabiah was arbitrarily and secretly re-tried before the end of his 6-year’s sentence.”.