Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Palestinian Ministry of Health: Two were martyred in Israeli shelling that targeted a besieged house in the town of Qabatiya in Jenin
At least 68 dead in migrant shipwreck off Yemen: IOM
Trump: We want to feed the people in Gaza, we do not want them to starve.
US President Donald Trump: We will impose sanctions on Russia if it does not end the war on Ukraine.
Israeli media: Polls show that 52% oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while only 29% support him.
Israeli media: 32% of Americans still support "Israel's" war on Hamas, while 60% oppose it.
Israeli media: Core US support for "Israel" hits its lowest, while support for Palestine reaches its highest levels.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reports martyrs, injuries in Israeli bombardment of home in Heker al-Jame area in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
Al-Quds Governorate: Today, the spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque began in a public and dangerous manner, and we warn of a religious war in the region
The Ministry of Health in Gaza: This brings the total number of victims of famine and malnutrition to 175, including 93 children

"No one is safe in Saudi Arabia": MBS strikes off his possible rivals

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 28 Feb 2023 13:46
  • 3 Shares
6 Min Read

As MBS consolidates his power, repression continues to haunt Saudi citizens, including government loyalists.

  • x
  • In this file photo taken on October 10, 2018, a demonstrator dressed as Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C) with blood on his hands protests outside the Saudi Embassy in Washington (AFP)

The Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) in Riyadh, the entity entitled to prosecute "terrorism" cases in Saudi Arabia, has charged six former prominent SCC judges and four former judges of the country's supreme court with "high treason" - a crime punishable by death in Saudi Arabia - in its first secret hearing of the case on February 16, 2023,  American non-profit organization Democracy for the Arab Now (DAWN) reported.

According to sources, the government has denied the defendants legal counsel and has kept them incommunicado since their arrest on April 11, 2022.

Abdullah Alaoudh, Gulf Director at DAWN said, "The shocking charges leveled against these judges, many of whom have issued egregiously abusive sentences against Saudi citizens at the behest of the Crown Prince, demonstrates that no one is safe in Saudi Arabia." 

"The prosecution of these judges is emblematic of the Crown Prince's wider purges within the country and his attempts to make the judiciary subservient solely to his wishes," he tersely stated.

Executing 81 people for MBS' sake: Not good enough reason to be saved

On April 11, 2022, the Saudi State Security Agency arrested the judges. Those arrested reportedly include six judges from the SCC - Abdullah bin Khaled Al-Luhaidan, Abdulaziz bin Medawi Al-Jaber, Jundub Al-Muferrih, Abdulaziz bin Fahad Al-Dawood, Talal Al-Humaidan, Fahad Al-Sughayyer - and four judges from the High Court - Khalid bin Awaidh Al-Qahtani, Nasser bin Saud Al-Harbi, Muhammed Al-Omari, and Muhammed bin Musfir Al-Ghamdi.

Two of these SCC justices, Abdullah bin Khaled Al-Luhaidan and Abdulaziz bin Medawi Al-Jaber, were previously exposed by DAWN for their direct involvement in human rights violations in Saudi Arabia.

In December 2020, Al-Luhaidan convicted notable women's rights advocate Loujain Alhathloul on false "terrorism" accusations, while Al-Jaber sentenced a minor and many others to death, including many of those executed in the March 2022 mass execution of 81 people.

Read next: Saudi mass executions glossed over for oil

#SaudiArabia goes on with its unlawful executions; 2 months after the last mass executions that shocked the whole world, Sadiq Majid Thamer and Jaafar Muhammad Sultan now face a death sentence for allegedly smuggling explosives.#Bahrain pic.twitter.com/xcP8jvrpR3

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 22, 2022

According to a source with knowledge of the proceedings, the arrests and prosecution of these judges bore striking parallels to earlier purges of perceived MBS rivals, and their allegations appear to be politically driven, with no serious evidence provided against the accused.

Officials from the State Security Circuit of the Public Prosecution Office charged the SCC judges after they signed confessions stating they had been too "lenient" in the State Security cases they presided over during their tenures as SCC judges, according to a source with knowledge of the trial and who said he reviewed the court documents presented against the defendants.

The #Saudi Crown Prince tightens his chokehold on Saudi royals, in scenes resembling the 2017's Ritz hotel detentions.#MBS #SaudiArabia pic.twitter.com/LsecBKTkK5

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 25, 2022

Related News

MBS' crackdown: KSA increases US citizen’s tweet sentence to 19 years

Under façade of freedom, MBS leads new era of political repression

Court documents mention these admissions as proof of the charges and reference them as examples of "leniency". The punishments are handed out by judges in cases involving the prosecutions of human rights defenders, peaceful dissidents, and women's rights activists.

Among the additional claims leveled against them is "complacency with state security criminals," according to the source, though it is unclear whether this is a cognizable felony under Saudi law, or whether it would fit the requirements of international law if it were.

According to the same source, the judge presiding over the trial of these ten judges is Awad Al-Ahmari, who was previously probed for his abuses; he was chosen to lead the SCC by royal decree on June 9, 2013.

'Nothing protects a Saudi citizen'

Following the arrest of these judges, MBS replaced them on June 20 with his "loyalists", who have since reviewed a number of prosecutions involving political activists and Twitter commenters and drastically increased their punishments.

For example, the SCC, now led by these freshly appointed justices, overturned lower court verdicts of eight and thirteen years in prison, respectively, against two Saudi women, Salma Al-Shehab and Nourah Al-Qahtani, for their use of social media.

Read next: Under façade of freedom, MBS leads new era of political repression

The imprisonment and trial of the judges appear to be devoid of basic due process safeguards. On February 23, 2023, a source who attended the trial and was familiar with the arrests said, as quoted by Dawn, that state security authorities detained the judges incommunicado for 10 months, refusing them access to their families and counsel.

The same source also attended the trial, stressing that the government denied the defendants legal counsel and that one of the judges was just taken to an intensive care unit owing to major health difficulties.

The non-profit organization has called for Saudi judges to be held accountable for violating human, legal, and political rights, as well as their involvement in facilitating official repression of Saudi human rights defenders, civil society leaders, and democracy campaigners.

The organization further opposes the apparent arbitrary arrests and lack of due process displayed by several of the judges recently charged with "high treason".

At the very least, the Saudi authorities should allow the accused access to counsel and family visits, as per the organization.

Yet, given that Saudi prosecutors lack any prosecutorial independence and the SCC's record demonstrates that it is not a fair and unbiased court, the government should immediately release the prisoners, it added.

"Nothing protects a Saudi citizen's basic rights to life and freedom, not even blindly obeying the Crown Prince's dictates or carrying out his dirty work by sentencing his critics to lengthy prison terms," said Alaoudh. 

"By prosecuting these judges, MBS is sending a message to every judge in the country that they have to be as brutal as possible to avoid the fate of their victims," he added.

See more: Human Rights Watch Report Reveals New Details About Torture in Saudi Prisons

  • repressive regime
  • Saudi citizens
  • Saudi Arabia
  • MBS

Most Read

A rescued crew member from the ETERNITY C vessel in a video released by the Yemeni Armed Forces on July 28, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen Navy reveals fate of targeted Eternity C ship crew

  • Politics
  • 28 Jul 2025
An Israeli tank explodes following an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, Occupied Palestine, undated (Al-Qassam Military Media)

Al-Qassam strikes Israeli vehicles in Gaza, inflicts casualties

  • Politics
  • 30 Jul 2025
UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

  • Politics
  • 1 Aug 2025
Protesters chant anti-Israeli slogans as they carry a banner that reads:" Freedom for Palestine, Alliance stop the war," during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza, outside the Israeli embassy, in Athens, Monday, June 9, 2025 (AP)

Athens mayor slams Israeli ambassador over Gaza war, graffiti claim

  • Politics
  • 3 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, takes part in a parade as he celebrates a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli regime in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, January 19, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Al-Qassam: We’ll allow aid to Israeli captives if Gaza siege ends

Freed Lebanese freedom fighter Georges Abdallah during an interview on Al Mayadeen, which aired on Sunday, August 3, 2025 (Al Mayadeen screengrab)
Politics

Exclusive: Resistance key to building state, Georges Abdallah says

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres gives a statement about the situation in Gaza at UN headquarters, Friday, June 27, 2025 (AP)
Politics

UN warns Gaza faces water crisis, looming famine under Israeli siege

Israeli soldiers drive their armored personnel carrier along the Gaza Strip, in southern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ex-Israeli general says Gaza starvation campaign isolated 'Israel'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS