A Saudi woman was sentenced to more than three decades in prison on Friday after being accused of following and retweeting alleged dissidents and activists on Twitter. The UN human rights office, OHCHR, stated shock at the sentencing.

Salma Al-Shehab, a doctoral student, received a 34-year prison term and a 34-year travel ban in response to a slew of tweets and retweets she made about political and human rights issues in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement from OHCHR spokesman Liz Throssell.

We implore the Saudi government to overturn her verdict and provide her an immediate, unconditional release, the Throssel said.

“She should never have been detained and charged for such behaviour in the first place,” she added.

The statement continued, describing the extremely long sentence as “yet another example of Saudi authorities weaponizing the country’s counter-terrorism and anti-cybercrime laws to target, intimidate and retaliate against human rights defenders and those who voice dissent,” adding to “the chilling effect” among Government critics and civil society at large.

Ms. Al-Shehab, a 34-year-old mother of two young children, was detained in Saudi Arabia in 2021 when she was on vacation from her studies at Leeds University in the United Kingdom.

She was charged with using her Twitter tweets, retweets, and followers to disseminate fake information and support rebels trying to disturb the peace.

According to news sources, the case represents the most recent instance of how the nation has targeted Twitter users in a campaign of repression while also holding a sizable indirect investment in the American social media platform.

In order to safeguard everyone’s right to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, OHCHR also urged the Saudi government to build “a solid legal framework in accordance with international human rights law.”

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