Saudi court postpones trial of prominent dissident rights activist

Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court has postponed a hearing in the case against prominent human rights defender Mohammed al-Otaibi, as a crackdown led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman against pro-democracy campaigners, Muslim preachers and intellectuals continues in the country.

The London-based rights group ALQST, which is an independent non-governmental organization advocating human rights in Saudi Arabia, said in a statement published on its official Twitter page on Wednesday that the next session is going to be on Sunday, March 13, 2020, Arabic-language Mirat al-Jazeera news website reported. 

Otaibi’s fourth trial had initially been set for Monday February 3.

Saudi regime’s existence dependent on external forces: Opposition leaderA Saudi opposition leader says the ruling Riyadh regime’s existence is heavily dependent on Western support.

Among the accusations leveled by Saudi authorities against the imprisoned human rights campaigner are his trip to Qatar, his request for asylum in Norway, and his affiliation with the Saudi Arabian human rights non-governmental organization Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA).

Otaibi has been deprived during his previous trial sessions of the right to obtain the documents he needs to prepare his response to the charges brought against him.

On January 25, 2018, the so-called Specialized Criminal Court sentenced Otaibi to 14 years in prison and his colleague Abdulla Madhi al-Attawi to seven years in prison.

Amnesty demands immediate release of Saudi rights activistsAmnesty International has called on Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release jailed human rights defenders.

Otaibi left Saudi Arabia, and arrived in Qatar on March 30, 2017. The Saudi human rights activist was forcibly deported from Qatar to Saudi Arabia early on May 28, 2017 while on his way to Norway.

The Norwegian government had exceptionally agreed to provide him and his wife with two Norwegian travel documents and grant him refugee status as soon as he arrived, after he requested international support following his departure from Saudi Arabia to Qatar. He has been in prison since then.

Saudi Arabia has stepped up politically-motivated arrests, prosecution and conviction of peaceful dissident writers and human rights campaigners, in particular in oil-rich Eastern Province.