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
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.
Sheikh Qassem: The government’s latest decision [on the disarmament of the Resistance] is non-charter-based, and if the government continues down this path, it is not faithful to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Truss urged to act after Saudis jail UK student for 34 years on tweets

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 21 Aug 2022 19:12
3 Min Read

Britain has a duty to speak out about Salma Al-Shehab, a UK student jailed for 34 years in Saudi Arabia over Twitter use, according to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

  • x
  • Plea for Liz Truss to act after Saudis jail UK student for 34 years.
    UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has been urged to intervene in the "outrageous" case of a Leeds University student sentenced to 34 years in prison in Saudi Arabia for using Twitter.

Labour MP for Leeds Central Hilary Benn said the UK had a "duty" to press for the release of Salma Al-Shehab, a Saudi national who had lived in the UK and was detained after returning to see her family last year.

Al-Shehab, who has two young children, was initially jailed for three years for allegedly “causing public unrest” and “destabilizing civil and national security” after appearing to support activists and dissidents on Twitter.

However, an appeals court handed down a new sentence last week - 34 years in prison followed by a 34-year travel ban - after a public prosecutor requested that the court consider other alleged crimes.

She described being abused and harassed behind bars, telling a Saudi court that she was subjected to interrogations after being given medications that rendered her exhausted. Amnesty International demanded her "immediate and unconditional release."

Related News

Saudi Arabia jails another woman for using Twitter

US raises 'significant concerns' over Saudi sentencing of activist

In a letter to Truss, Benn says the UK must intervene and calls on her to “make representations to the Saudi authorities” for Al-Shehab “so that she can be freed to return to her family and to her studies."

He said the case is “completely at odds with Saudi Arabia’s claim to be improving human rights,” writing, “It seems that all she has done is use her Twitter account to support women’s rights and greater freedom and to call for the release of imprisoned activists in Saudi Arabia.”

While Saudi Arabia calls for reform and liberalization, it contradicts its statements by imprisoning a woman for expressing her right of having an opinion and preaching it. The Kingdom's "reform" and "liberalization" lack the most important aspect, freedom of speech and expression. 

Benn reiterated this, saying, “Saudi Arabia says, ‘we’re reforming the country.’ You can’t on the one hand say, ‘we are opening up and liberalising the country,’ and on the other hand send a woman to prison for expressing her opinions on Twitter."

On its part, Leeds University commented, saying, “We are deeply concerned to learn of the recent development in Salma’s case and are seeking advice on whether there is anything we can do to support her. Our thoughts remain with Salma, her family, and her friends among our close-knit community of postgraduate researchers.”

Al-Shehab was in the final year of PhD studies in the School of Medicine, focusing on improving dental treatment for patients with disabilities.

Read next: UN denounces Saudi 34-year sentence against female activist over tweet

  • Salma al-Shehab
  • Liz Truss
  • Mohammed Bin Salman
  • United Kingdom
  • Saudi Arabia

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

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