Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) on Monday sentenced a detained Saudi citizen to five years and eight months in prison for several charges, including “seeking to execute foreign agenda inside the Kingdom” in order to harm public order, according to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.
The SCC said the citizen had been involved in activities targeting the country’s homeland security.
For the latest headlines, visit our Google News channel online or via the app.
“The court ruled, in a public session attended by Asharq al-Awsat and a number of media outlets, to convict the defendant” with several charges, including “incitement to change the Basic System of Governance” and “seeking to execute foreign agenda inside the Kingdom using the internet,” the newspaper reported.
The report added that the detainee was sentenced for five years and eight months “with suspension of a two-year and 10-month of punishment out of consideration for her conditions, with the suspension being considered null if she commits any crime within the next three years.”
Read more: Riyadh court dismisses Saudi female prisoner’s torture, harassment claims
According to Asharq al-Awsat, the court’s judge said the detainee pled guilty to all charges brought against her, adding that she was convicted in accordance with Saudi Arabia’s law regarding crimes of terrorism and its financing.
“The judge stated that the verdict issued against the defendant was based on the evidence that she committed criminal acts under Article 43 of the Law on Combating Terrorism Crimes and Its Financing, and the decision also included the application of the additional punishment stipulated in Article 53 of the same system,” the newspaper said.
The detainee’s family (her legal representatives) and the representative of Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission (HRC) were present at the court’s sentencing session.
The judge said that the defendant admitted to committing the charges against her, and her confessions were documented voluntarily without coercion, Asharq al-Awsat reported.
Read more: Saudi Arabia sentences corrupt judge, others to prison, issues fines
SHOW MORE
Last Update: Monday, 28 December 2020 KSA 13:47 – GMT 10:47
