Mohammed al-Hazza, a 48-year-old Saudi artist and father of five, has been jailed for 23 years over political cartoons deemed insulting to Saudi leaders. Arrested in 2018, al-Hazza faced charges for “offensive cartoons” and social media posts allegedly hostile to Saudi Arabia.
Background:
– Al-Hazza worked for Qatari newspaper Lusail, mostly before the 2017 boycott.
– Prosecutors failed to provide evidence of offending cartoons or posts.
– Saudi Arabia has faced criticism for cracking down on online speech.
Human Rights Concerns:
– Amnesty International and ALQST report lengthy prison terms for social media expression.
– Sanad Human Rights Organisation condemns al-Hazza’s sentence as suppression of free speech.
Global Reactions:
– Saudi Arabia denied UN Human Rights Council seat amid controversy.
Peoplesmind