Incarcerated since 2017, prominent Saudi scholar, Salman al Odah’s trial has been postponed yet again, as authorities seek the death penalty
Odah has more than 13 million followers on Twitter. During the Saudi-led blockade and boycott of Qatar, which began in June 2017, Odah tweeted a prayer in the September of that year calling for ‘harmony’ between regional leaders, without naming them specifically.The tweet did not go down well with the Saudi authorities and led to his detention that same month in 2017.Between the 1960s and 1980s, a powerful socio-political change began taking place in the kingdom.
Odah was a follower of that stream of thought. Its leaders began seeking an increased role in the Saudi state’s political system and that threatened many members of the royal family. A high-profile Sahwa leader, Odah was jailed between 1994 and 1999 after calling for reforms in the country. He even rallied for theUpon his release, he softened his stance against the state and enjoyed widespread popularity for his relatively liberal opinions on societal issues. Rights groups have expressed grave concern over the imprisonment of Odah and other religious scholars.
Human Rights Watch Middle East Director Sarah Leah Whitson said: "Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's efforts to reform the Saudi economy and society are bound to fail if his justice system scorns the rule of law by ordering arbitrary arrests and punishments.”’ calling for Odah’s unconditional release.
“We are gravely concerned that Sheikh Salman al Awda [Odah] could be sentenced to death and executed. Since his arrest almost two years ago, Sheikh al Awda [Odah] has gone through a terrible ordeal including prolonged pre-trial detention, months of solitary confinement, incommunicado detention, and other ill-treatment – all flagrant violations to his right to a fair trial.”
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