Abu Bajad Al-Harf Serving 20 Years Imprisonment for Snapchat Videos
For posting videos on Snapchat criticising the policies of the Saudi government, Saudi activist Abu Bajad Al-Harf is currently serving a 20-year prison term.
Al-Harf did nothing wrong other than exercise his unalienable right to peacefully express his opinion. However, the Saudi authorities considered him a threat to the country’s security and safety, pushing the Specialized Criminal Court to sentence him to 20 years in prison after an unfair trial.
Al-Harf was arrested a year ago during US President Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
Less than two months later, he suffered a stroke and was transferred to the prison hospital after a serious health deterioration due to the poor detention conditions. No new details regarding his health status have been revealed since then.
He was found guilty in June 2023 by the Specialized Criminal Court on charges based on “bad laws,” as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently put it, and was given a 20-year prison sentence.
We urge the international community to act immediately to put pressure on the Saudi government to free all political prisoners, guarantee their access to all of their rights, and launch investigations into any violations they were subjected to
