Saudi prosecutors seek death penalty for academic over social media use

Re:Saudi prosecutors seek death penalty for academic over so... by rippercushions on Sunday January 15, 2023 @07:14PM (#34395154)

> the use of social media and other communications has been criminalised inside the kingdom since the beginning of Prince Mohammed’s reign.

I don't understand the harping on about "social media" here? It's not using social media that's illegal in Saudi Arabia, it's public dissent, and that's been the case since day one. Previously people were jailed or executed for spraying graffiti on overhead bridges, but the authorities were too clueless to care/understand about posting on the Internet. Now the dinosaurs have been replaced by MBS, who does care about the online world, so they've started applying the same old punishments to people posting the same sentiments online.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Saudi prosecutors seek death penalty for academic over so... by josephcsible on Sunday January 15, 2023 @07:24PM (#34395223)

When it was spraying graffiti, at least that's actually bad and universally recognized as a crime, so it was just a really disproportionate punishment for it. Posting on social media isn't supposed to be a crime at all.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Saudi prosecutors seek death penalty for academic over so... by tessierashpool on Sunday January 15, 2023 @08:08PM (#34395552)

it's very widely recognized as an art form, and it's not necessarily bad at all.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Saudi prosecutors seek death penalty for academic over so... by throwaway_au_1 on Sunday January 15, 2023 @09:04PM (#34395948)

I'd be surprised if you appreciated if the 'art' that is 90% of graffiti appeared on the exterior of your home or business.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Saudi prosecutors seek death penalty for academic over so... by josephcsible on Sunday January 15, 2023 @09:09PM (#34395974)

Graffiti is only a legitimate art form when it's done with the permission of the owner of the thing being painted. It's pure vandalism otherwise.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Saudi prosecutors seek death penalty for academic over so... by sandworm101 on Sunday January 15, 2023 @08:10PM (#34395561)

The crime is not the post. The crime is the statement contained in the post. Who told you that online statements were not crimes? They are exactly as much a crime as a statement in a newspaper or on tv.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Saudi prosecutors seek death penalty for academic over so... by josephcsible on Sunday January 15, 2023 @09:10PM (#34395979)

Hence why I used the qualifiers "universally recognized" and "supposed to be".

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Saudi prosecutors seek death penalty for academic over so... by aaomidi on Sunday January 15, 2023 @08:58PM (#34395909)

>, at least that's actually bad

Is it? Public dissent is bad?

What do you expect people to do? Vote?

[ Parent | on HN ]