Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has reportedly increased arrests of citizens for criticising Israel on social media in recent months due to its ongoing military onslaught against Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
Saudi Arabia is a country known for its strict stance on free speech and political expression, often detaining individuals, sometimes over decade-old online comments.
But the recent arrests were based on security concerns related to the events of October 7 in Israel and Gaza and their aftermath, Bloomberg reported citing officials and rights activists.
According to the report, one detainee was an executive involved in Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s economic development initiatives, including the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Another detainee was a media figure who advocated for boycotting American fast food chains in Saudi Arabia and criticised Israel for its war crimes in Gaza was arrested.
The arrests aim to deter people from posting ‘harmful’ online statements about the war, according to a source familiar to the matter.
The report indicates that there are no precise figures available regarding the number of arrests made since October 7.
The arrests comes as the US is actively working with Riyadh to establish a path towards normalization with Israel.
Since October 7, Israel has launched a genocidal offensive against Palestinians in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 34,500 individuals and the injuries of over 77,000 others.
