Journalists Imprisoned in 2017 - Sami al-Thubaiti
| Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
| Publication Date | 31 December 2017 |
| Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Imprisoned in 2017 - Sami al-Thubaiti, 31 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a5c92e7a.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Tawasul | Imprisoned in Saudi Arabia | September 01, 2017
| Job: | Internet Reporter |
| Medium: | Internet |
| Beats Covered: | Corruption, Crime, Culture |
| Gender: | Male |
| Local or Foreign: | Local |
| Freelance: | No |
| Charge: | No charge |
| Length of Sentence: | Not Sentenced |
| Reported Health Problems: | No |
Saudi journalist Sami al-Thubaiti was arrested at his home in Mecca in September 2017, according to a report from ALQST, a U.K.-based organization that monitors human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, and a blog post on Al Jazeera.
At the time of his arrest, Saudi authorities were arresting activists, dissidents, media figures, and religious personalities amid a power struggle within the ruling royal family in which Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman amassed wide-ranging power, according to news reports. Authorities said the arrests were aimed at cracking down on people assisting "foreign powers working to undermine the monarchy," according to reports.
Al-Thubaiti wrote for the Saudi news website Tawasul, covering a range of stories from the kidnappings of two girls in Mecca to official malfeasance at a local hospital, and the closure of a Saudi news channel.
As of December 4, 2017, Tawasul had not responded to CPJ's request for comment.
Ammar Mutawa, who described himself as a friend of al-Thubaiti, wrote in a post on the blogging section of the Al Jazeera website that he thought the arrest may have been related to the journalist's Twitter posts. Mutawa did not provide further detail.
CPJ's review of a selection of posts on the journalist's Twitter feed found some tweets calling for unity among Middle East nations, but no posts that were overly critical of the Saudi authorities.
As of late 2017, CPJ was unable to determine the exact date of al-Thubaiti's arrest or whether the journalist had been charged.
