Stories about Saudi Arabia from November, 2012
Is the Saudi Government Monitoring Women?
Is the Saudi government monitoring women? Blogger Ahmed Al Omran tells us how it is done. He adds: The problem is not that there is now an electronic system that sends an SMS when women travel. Some people might actually want this service. The problem is that the government is...
Saudi Judge: “What applies to the ruler, does not apply to those he rules”
Earlier today, Riyadh Criminal Court held the sixth hearing session of the ongoing trial of the two prominent human rights activists Mohammad Al-Qahtani and Abdullah Al-Hamid. Today's session was solely a debate between the judge and the defendants, and the public prosecutor did not talk at all. Sixty-five people attended the session, in which the judge argued: "What applies to the ruler, does not apply to those he rules."
Why is the GCC Quiet about Gaza?
“Gulf countries awfully quiet about Gaza,” tweets Foreign Policy editor Blake Hounshell. Lebanese journalist Antoun Issa adds: @antissa: Amazing how eager GCC are to arm Arabs to fight each other, while disappearing completely when it comes to Palestine. #Gaza The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is made up of Bahrain, Qatar,...
Saudi Arabia: Peaceful Protesters to Be Flogged, Judge Rules
Last September, we wrote about an unprecedented 24-hour sit-in for families of uncharged prisoners. The protesters were finally tricked and arrested. Last night, Saudi journalist Iman al-Qahtani published the court ruling on 19 of those protesters on Twitter. Suspended 50-90 lashes and varying jail sentences were handed to 14 of them, including the person who brought food for the protesters. The sentences are to be executed if they participate again in any protest. The other five are to be tried later.
Arab World: What will Change with Obama's Re-Election?
Barack Obama has won a second term as US President but how does he fare among netizens across the Arab world? Here's a snippet of the conversation on Twitter following his re-election. Reactions were divided and while many were not pleased with the US foreign policy in the region, others were happy Obama won.
Saudi Judge: “The ruler has the right to do what he sees fit”
The fifth session of the ongoing trial of the two prominent human rights activists Mohammad Al-Qahtani and Abdullah Al-Hamid was held earlier today. During the session, Al-Qahtani asked the judge whether it was legitimate to imprison people without sentences? The judge responded: "The ruler has the right to do what he sees fit."
Saudi Arabia: First Reactions to the Riyadh Explosion
A huge explosion rocked eastern Riyadh this morning, sparking a discussion on mainstream media coverage and praising Twitter for being a source of instant news. Initial reports said that a tanker carrying flammable liquid crashed into a flyover in the Saudi capital, leaving at least 10 people have been killed and over 50 were injured. Video footage shared on video-sharing site YouTube shows the charred remains of cars and extensive damage to surrounding buildings.
