Saudi human rights activist sentenced to 8 years in prison
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rights group Amnesty International says a court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a member of an independent human rights organization to eight years prison in the latest guilty verdict to be issued against the group's members.
Abdulaziz al-Shubaily is the only founding member of the Saudi Association for Civil and Political Rights, known by its Arabic acronym HASEM, not behind bars. Amnesty says he was tried Sunday by the Specialized Criminal Court — established to try terrorism cases but increasingly used against political activists whose work is deemed a national security risk.
Amnesty said al-Shubaily was also barred from traveling abroad for eight years after his release and from writing on social media. His charges included "communicating with foreign organizations" and providing information to Amnesty for use in its reports.