URGENT ACTION Arabie saoudite – Action lettre Commutation d’une condamnation à mort pour des publications sur les réseaux sociaux

Selon des sources bien informées, la chambre d’appel du Tribunal pénal spécial de l’Arabie saoudite a commué la peine de mort prononcée contre Mohammad bin Nasser al Ghamdi le 24 septembre 2024 et l’a condamné à 30 ans d’emprisonnement. Le système judiciaire de l’Arabie saoudite manque de transparence et les procédures sont souvent entourées de secret, ce qui laisse les personnes poursuivies et leurs familles dans une incertitude insoutenable. Le Tribunal pénal spécial ne motive pas ses jugements et n’en publie pas de version écrite. Les personnes faisant appel d’une condamnation et leurs avocats sont rarement informés de l’issue de leur recours tant qu’ils ne se sont pas renseignés à plusieurs reprises auprès des autorités judiciaires, parfois pendant plusieurs semaines ou mois.

Le Tribunal pénal spécial avait condamné à mort Mohammad bin Nasser al Ghamdi, enseignant à la retraite âgé de 55 ans, le 9 juillet 2023 sur la base d’accusations de terrorisme forgées de toutes pièces liées uniquement à ses activités pacifiques en ligne sur X (anciennement Twitter) et YouTube. Son frère Saeed bin Nasser al Ghamdi est un intellectuel spécialiste de l’islam et opposant au gouvernement qui a choisi de vivre en exil au Royaume-Uni. Il a déclaré à Amnesty International qu’il pense que son frère a été condamné à mort à cause de son propre militantisme.

Amnesty International a recueilli des informations faisant état d’actes de représailles contre des membres de la famille de personnes dissidentes, de militant·e·s et de défenseur·e·s des droits humains en exil, dénonçant notamment les cas de 40 proches de militant·e·s qui se sont retrouvés – sans décision officielle ni autre forme de notification – soumis à une interdiction de voyager qui les sépare de fait de leurs proches.

Ces trois dernières années, Amnesty International a constaté une intensification de la répression exercée en Arabie saoudite contre les personnes exprimant leurs opinions sur les réseaux sociaux. Le Tribunal pénal spécial, tribunal antiterroriste saoudien de sinistre réputation, a infligé des peines de réclusion allant jusqu’à 45 ans sur la base de dispositions vagues issues des lois de lutte contre la cybercriminalité et le terrorisme.

Monsieur le Ministre,

J’ai appris avec soulagement que la peine de mort injuste prononcée contre Mohammad bin Nasser al Ghamdi a été commuée, mais sa condamnation à 30 ans d’emprisonnement par la chambre d’appel du Tribunal pénal spécial et le fait qu’il soit maintenu en détention pour s’être exprimé en ligne me préoccupent.

Selon son frère, Mohammad bin Nasser al Ghamdi a été arrêté le 11 juin 2022 par les forces de sécurité, alors qu’il était assis avec sa femme et ses enfants devant leur maison dans le quartier d’al Nawwariyyah à la Mecque. Il a été placé en détention à l’isolement dans la prison de Dhahban, non loin de Djedda, pendant quatre mois, et n’a pas été autorisé durant cette période à contacter sa famille, ni à accéder à un avocat. Mohammad bin Nasser al Ghamdi n’a pu contacter sa famille qu’après son transfert dans la prison d’al Hair, à Riyadh, quatre mois environ après son arrestation.

Au cours de son interrogatoire, les enquêteurs ont posé des questions à Mohammad bin Nasser al Ghamdi au sujet de ses opinions politiques et de son point de vue concernant d’autres Saoudiens incarcérés, notamment les dignitaires religieux Salman al Awda et Awad al Qarni, tous deux arrêtés en 2017 et condamnés à mort à cause de leurs opinions politiques.

Selon le jugement et l’acte d’accusation examinés par Amnesty International, Mohammad bin Nasser al Ghamdi a été déclaré coupable au titre des articles 30, 34, 43 et 44 de la Loi de lutte contre le terrorisme, notamment pour des publications dans lesquelles il a critiqué le roi et le prince héritier d’Arabie saoudite ainsi que la politique étrangère du pays, appelé à la libération de dignitaires religieux incarcérés et protesté contre la flambée des prix – opinions protégées en vertu de son droit à la liberté d’expression. Il n’est accusé d’aucun crime violent.

Le 29 mai 2024, le Tribunal pénal spécial a également condamné son frère, Asaad bin Nasser al Ghamdi, à 20 ans de prison pour des messages critiquant le gouvernement qu’il avait publiés sur les réseaux sociaux.

Je vous prie instamment de libérer Mohammad bin Nasser al Ghamdi immédiatement et sans condition, car il est détenu uniquement pour avoir exercé de manière pacifique son droit à la liberté d’expression.

Veuillez agréer, Monsieur le Ministre, l’expression de ma haute considération.
 

Your Excellency,

While I welcome the news that the unjust death sentence against Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi has been commuted, I am distressed to learn that the appeals chamber of the SCC has resentenced to 30 years in prison and that he remains in detention for his online expression.

According to his brother, Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi was arrested on 11 June 2022 by State Security forces as he sat with his wife and children in front of their house in al-Nawwariyyah neighbourhood in the city of Mecca. He was kept in solitary confinement in Dhahban prison near the city of Jeddah for four months, during which he was not allowed to contact his family or access a lawyer. Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi was allowed to contact his family only when he was moved to al-Ha’ir prison in Riyadh, about four months after he was arrested.

During questioning, interrogators asked Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi about his political opinions and his views on other imprisoned Saudi nationals, including religious clerics Salman al-Awda and Awad al-Qarni, both of whom were detained in 2017 and face the death penalty for their political views.

According to the verdict and charge sheet reviewed by Amnesty International, Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi was convicted under articles 30, 34, 43 and 44 of Saudi’s counterterrorism law, including for posts in which he criticized the Saudi King and Crown Prince and Saudi’s foreign policy, called for the release of detained religious clerics and protested increased prices, all of which are views protected under his right to freedom of expression. He is not accused of any violent crime.

On 29 May 2024, the Specialized Criminal Court also sentenced Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi’s brother, Asaad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, to 20 years in prison for social media posts criticizing the government.

I urge you to immediately and unconditionally release Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi as he has been convicted solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression.

Yours sincerely,
 

Twitter target: @MojKsa

Hashtags: #KingdomofRepression

Suggested messaging:

1/4
Good news - Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court of Appeal quashed the death sentence against Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi for his social media posts. However he was resentenced to 30 years in prison. He must be immediately released.

2/4
On 9 July 2023, Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, a 55-year-old retired teacher, was sentenced to death by the Specialized Criminal Court in #SaudiArabia on trumped-up terrorism charges for his online activity on Twitter and YouTube.

3/4
The charge sheet based on which al-Ghamdi was convicted, cited several tweets including posts in which he criticized the Saudi King and Crown Prince and Saudi’s foreign policy, called for the release of detained religious clerics, and protested increased prices.

4/4
Despite promises of progress to address their atrocious human rights record, #Saudi authorities have adopted a zero-tolerance policy for any critical speech. @MojKSA must act now to immediately and unconditionally release al-Ghamdi and all individuals detained solely for expressing themselves.

On 24 September 2024, the appeals chamber of Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) commuted Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi's death sentence for his social media posts, resentencing him to 30 years in prison, a ludicrously harsh punishment for exercising his right to free expression. Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, a 55-year-old retired teacher, was sentenced to death by the SCC on 9 July 2023 for his peaceful online activity on X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube. He was convicted on trumped up terrorism charges for posts in which he criticized the Saudi King and Crown Prince and Saudi’s foreign policy, called for the release of detained religious clerics and protested increased prices. Amnesty International calls on Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi.

According to well-informed sources, the appeals chamber of the SCC commuted the death sentence against Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi on 24 September 2024 and resentenced him to 30 years in prison. Saudi Arabia’s judicial system lacks transparency, and court proceedings are often shrouded in secrecy, leaving families and defendants in agonizing limbo. The SCC Appeals Court does not explain its judgements or issue written judgments, and defendants and their lawyers are often not informed promptly of the outcome of their appeal until they repeatedly inquire with court officials, sometimes over several weeks or months.

The Specialized Criminal Court had sentenced 55-year-old Saudi retired teacher Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi to death on 9 July 2023 on trumped-up terrorism-related charges solely related to his online activity on X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube. Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi’s brother, Dr Saeed bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, is an Islamic scholar and government critic living in self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom. He told Amnesty International that he believes that his brother’s death sentence was a reprisal for his own activism.

Amnesty International has documented acts of reprisal against family members of dissidents, activists and human rights defenders in exile, including 40 cases of relatives of activists who found themselves – by no official order or other form of notification – under travel bans, effectively forcibly separating families.

Over the past three years, Amnesty International has documented an escalating crackdown in Saudi Arabia against individuals who voiced their opinions on social media. The Specialized Criminal Court, the country’s notorious counter-terror court, has imposed punishments of imprisonment up to 45 years using vague provisions under anti-cybercrime and counterterrorism laws.

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