Saudi Arabia executes journalist Turki Al-Jasser over social media posts critical of the royal family, drawing strong condemnation from global rights groups.
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| Executed over critical tweets, journalist Turki Al-Jasser becomes the latest victim in Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on dissent, reigniting global scrutiny of its judiciary. Image: CH |
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – June 15, 2025:
Saudi Arabia has executed journalist Turki Al-Jasser, nearly seven years after his arrest for allegedly operating a pseudonymous social media account that criticized members of the Saudi royal family. The execution was confirmed by the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday, following the kingdom’s highest court upholding his death sentence.
Al-Jasser was detained in 2018 after security forces raided his residence, seizing computers and mobile devices. He was accused of running a critical X (formerly Twitter) account that revealed alleged corruption within the royal family and promoted content on reform, women's rights, and the Arab Spring. Though charged with terrorism and treason, rights organizations insist the charges were politically motivated and intended to silence dissent.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a strong condemnation. “The international community’s failure to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi has emboldened Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to continue his assault on press freedom,” said Carlos Martínez de la Serna, CPJ’s program director.
Al-Jasser was widely regarded as a vocal advocate for reform, maintaining a personal blog from 2013 to 2015. His arrest and now execution mirror the fate of Khashoggi, the Washington Post columnist brutally murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018—a case still shrouded in impunity despite U.S. intelligence implicating the crown prince.
Opaque judicial practices continue to be a concern. Al-Jasser’s legal proceedings were largely undisclosed, with limited transparency about trial conditions or defense rights. International watchdogs have consistently criticized the kingdom for using its counterterrorism laws to criminalize peaceful expression.
Saudi Arabia remains one of the world’s top executioners. In 2024 alone, rights monitors reported over 330 executions. Al-Jasser’s death follows several other controversial prosecutions, including that of Saad Almadi, a dual U.S.-Saudi citizen jailed for tweets made abroad. Though Almadi was released in 2023, he remains under a travel ban.
The execution of Turki Al-Jasser has reignited calls for stronger international accountability mechanisms to protect journalists and defend freedom of speech in authoritarian regimes.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan