Censorship remains rampant across certain regions of the Middle East, most recently among feminists, social justice advocates, and those who are working to enact change or difference among the current-day traditions of Saudi Arabia – one of the world’s most strict areas of censorship. Saudi courts currently stand as one of the harshes and most stringent courts available, forcing many to conform to excessively high penalties
Despite the restrictions associated with Saudi courts, social media has become more popular as the younger generations find new ways to voice their opinions and reality.
Most recently, an incident occurred in Dubai (UAE) – where a Saudi court sentenced current doctoral student Salma al-Shebab over three decades in prison for spreading “rumors” and retweeting dissidents. This decision is now attracting global divergence.
Salma al-Shehab is a mother of two and a prominent researcher at Leeds University in Britain. Her story of censorship began when she was detained during a family vacation in January 2021.
Activists and lawyers consider the sentence abhorrent even by the strictest cultural and traditional standards for social media and social activity. Her story began making new headlines as the case comes under court scrutiny.
According to the Freedom Initiative, a Washington based human rights group, al-Shehab was apprehended mere days before she planned to return to the United Kingdom with her family.
The Associated Press stated that according to court records, al-Shehab was held in solitary confinement for 285 days before her case was even referred to court – which many would consider a gross abuse of power.
The ruling has somewhat confused the kingdom, which has yet to acknowledge it, as the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has cracked down on any opposition. This is causing conflict throughout the community, as his rule up to this point has been very feminist-tolerant. Prince Salman has even granted women the right to drive and other freedoms, which is a modern day first as the kingdom is an ultraconservative nation.
Despite Saudi Arabia’s boasts to the world that they are improving women’s rights, sentences like that of al-Shehab show that the situation is getting worse.
Al-Shehab and her representatives are appealing the harsh judgment.
Al-Shehab states that the purpose of her account was to share the stories and viewpoints of others, and the retweets should not be considered a terrorism risk as originally stated. This harsh judgement is viewed by many as an effort to “re-traditionalize” areas in the region that would otherwise experience a greater breadth of freedom than before should this case go unpublicized.
This case is still under appeal.