The Arabic language Al-Ahed news website reported on 7 February that Riyadh had imposed “unjust” sentences on 11 young Shia men accused of belonging to a cell linked to the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corp.
The accused men are all from the town of Umm Al-Hamam in the Qatif governorate of Saudi Arabia.
Referencing Saudi opposition sources, the report explains how Saudi authorities had revived a 2020 case that rested on false charges with the intention of using “political blackmail […] against those whom Saudi Arabia considers an adversary and nothing more.”
The report pointed out that no evidence had been provided against the accused men.
Those serving long jail sentences were identified as Faisal al-Kaibi, Ahmed al-Kaibi, Ali al-Kaibi, Muhammad al-Kaibi, Ali al-Awami, Muhammad al-Shabib, Jaafar al-Marhoon, Mortada al-Marhoon, Mojtaba al-Marhoun, and Ali al-Marhoun.
According to the report, the recent crackdown against the Shia in the Qatif region comes at a time when Saudi Arabia and Iran are pursuing dialogue to establish better relations. The report attributes this as evidence of Riyadh’s lack of commitment to rapprochement and diplomacy.
Since 2014, Riyadh has weaponized a broad and vague definition of terrorism in counter-terrorism measures, which human rights activists worldwide have said is being used to persecute peaceful critics of the kingdom.
