https://www.euronews.com/2022/08/17/saudi-student-sentenced-to-34-years-in-prison-over-twitter-posts [ ] English English Francais Deutsch Italiano Espanol Portugues Russkii Turkce Ellenika Magyar frsy l`rby@ Shqip Romana k`art`uli b'lgarski Srpski * Newsletters * Games * My Europe World Business Sport Green My Europe World Business Sport Green Next Travel Culture Video * More My Europe World Business Sport Green Next Travel Culture Video Next Travel Culture Video * Programmes * * * * Live My europe * Europe Decoded * Europe News * European Debates * Smart Regions * State Of The Union * The Cube * Uncovering Europe * Unreported Europe Sport * Football Now World * Euronews Debates * Euronews Witness * Global Japan * Good Morning Europe * No Comment * Qatar 365 * Spotlight * The Global Conversation * Top News Stories Today * View * World News Next * Business Line * Business Planet * Dub.ai * Euronews Edge * Focus * Futuris * Hacker Hunter Next Level * Real Economy * Rethink * Sci-Tech * Smart Health * Target * The Dialogue * The Exchange Travel * Adventures * Conscious Travel * Explore * Postcards * Rerouted * Taste * Women Beyond Borders Green * Climate Now * Farm To Fork * Green Generation * Green In The City * Low Impact Living * Ocean * Ocean Calls Culture * Cinema * Creators * Cry Like A Boy * Cult * Meet The Locals * Melting Pot Culture * Musica * Scenes * The Kitchen Special coverage * Algeria Tomorrow * Angola 360 * Climate * Coronavirus * Croatia 360 * Depth Of Field * Destination Dubai * Here We Grow: Spain * Inclassica * My Tokyo * Podcasts * The New Uzbekistan Partner content * Digital Garden City Nation * Discover Bulgaria * Expo 2020 * Kerala Tourism * Ron Barcelo * Under The Hood All Programmes 1. Home > 2. News > 3. World > 4. Saudi student sentenced to 34 years in prison over Twitter posts This content is not available in your region Saudi Arabia Saudi student sentenced to 34 years in prison over Twitter posts Access to the comments Comments By Matthew Holroyd & Sophia Khatsenkova * Updated: 17/08/2022 - 18:27 Salma al-Shehab was convicted of spreading "malicious rumours" on Twitter, among other charges. Salma al-Shehab was convicted of spreading "malicious rumours" on Twitter, among other charges. - Copyright AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File Share this article * embed Copy/paste the article video embed link below: [https://www.euronews]Copy * facebookShare * twitterTweet * flipboardShare * mail iconsend * facebookShare * twitterTweet * flipboardShare * mail iconsend * MoreHide * * redditShare * messenger-dskSend * linkedinShare * vkShare * redditShare * messengerSend * linkedinShare * vkShare A Saudi Arabian student has been sentenced to 34 years in prison for following and retweeting activists on Twitter. Salma al-Shehab, 34, was studying at the University of Leeds and went home to Saudi Arabia for a vacation in December 2020. A few days before she was set to return to the UK in January 2021, the PhD student was detained. Saudi Arabia's special terrorist court convicted her of "causing public unrest and destabilising civil and national security". The student had used her Twitter account -- of around 2,700 followers -- to follow, like, and share posts from Saudi activists or dissidents in exile. "I reject injustice and support the oppressed," she wrote in a 2019 tweet. Initially, the mother of two young children was sentenced to serve six years in prison -- three of which were suspended -- but prosecutors requested that she face new charges, including for "spreading false and malicious rumours on Twitter". On Monday, an appeals court handed down the new sentence of 34 years in prison, as well as a 34-year travel ban after her release. Al-Shebab comes from the Shia Muslim minority, who have long been discriminated against in Saudia Arabia. Her 34-year prison sentence has been widely condemned by activists and politicians. The Gulf Centre for Human Rights described the verdict as a "mockery of justice" and a "message of threats and intimidation from Crown Prince Mohamed Bin-Salman". The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights said the judgement set a "dangerous" precedent for female activists in the country, who they say are already subjected to "unprecedented arrest campaigns," "severe torture", and sexual harassment. According to human rights organisations, the 34-year sentence is the longest term ever to be handed down in Saudi Arabia to an activist. The case also marks the latest example of how the Saudi regime has targeted Twitter users in its campaign of repression. Share this article * embed Copy/paste the article video embed link below: [https://www.euronews]Copy * facebookShare * twitterTweet * flipboardShare * mail iconsend * facebookShare * twitterTweet * flipboardShare * mail iconsend * MoreHide * * redditShare * messenger-dskSend * linkedinShare * vkShare * redditShare * messengerSend * linkedinShare * vkShare You might also like Why the sale of guns on Facebook in Iraq is so 'rife' Elon Musk sells $6.9 billion of Tesla stock to finance his Twitter deal if it is forced through Arabic anti-LGBTQ campaign goes viral on Twitter MORE ABOUT ACTIVIST TWITTER SAUDI ARABIA REPRESSION Browse today's tags Russia-Ukraine invasion Ukraine war United Kingdom Israel climate change Barcelona Donald Trump * Themes + My Europe + World + Business + Sport + Green + Next + Travel + Culture + Video + Programmes * Services + Live + Bulletin + All Weather + Just in + Follow us + Apps + Messaging apps + Widgets & Services + Africanews + Games + Search for Jobs * More + About Euronews + Commercial Services + EU Coverage + Terms and Conditions + Cookie Policy + Contact + Press Office + Work at Euronews Follow us * Facebook * Twitter * Flipboard * Youtube * Linkedin * Dailymotion * Instagram * VK Newsletters Copyright (c) euronews 2022 - English English Francais Deutsch Italiano Espanol Portugues Russkii Turkce Ellenika Magyar frsy l`rby@ Shqip Romana k`art`uli b'lgarski Srpski TOP TAGS RUSSIA-UKRAINE INVASION UKRAINE WAR UNITED KINGDOM ISRAEL CLIMATE CHANGE My Europe World Business Sport Green Next Travel Culture Video All Programmes Here we grow: Spain Algeria Tomorrow Croatia 360 My Tokyo Coronavirus Podcasts Climate InClassica Destination Dubai Angola 360 Depth of Field The New Uzbekistan Kerala Tourism Digital Garden City Nation Under the hood Discover Bulgaria Expo 2020 Ron Barcelo * Live * Newsletters * All views * Bulletin * Just In * All Weather * Games [English ] * Facebook * Twitter * Flipboard * Youtube * Linkedin * Dailymotion * Instagram * VK Facebook