Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has sentenced a renowned Quran reciter Sheikh Dr Abdullah Basfar, to 12 years in prison for leading prayers at Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, eight years ago.
According to the Prisoners of Conscience, the trial session of Sheikh Dr Abdullah Basfar was held on Wednesday, October 12, at the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh, after the authorities stalled his trial since his arrest in 2020.
The Prisoners of Conscience, confirmed the authenticity of the news on Twitter, saying, “Confirmed to us the sentence against Sheikh Dr Abdullah Basfar by 12-year prison; Because he accepted an invitation to lead prayers in the courtyard of the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Turkey.”
Saudi imam and Quran reciter Abdullah Basfar was arrested in August 2020; after a video of Basfar leading worshipers in the courtyard of the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Turkey went viral.
Neither the reports nor the Saudi authorities explained the exact reasons for his arrest and his accusations, but it is suspected that the reason for his arrest was his leading prayers at the mosque in 2014, at a time when relations between Saudi and Turkey were underway and the governments were very tense.
Abdullah Basfar remained in detention for more than two years, during which he was subjected to numerous harassment by interrogators.
Abdullah Basfar is a renowned Quran reciter, and until his arrest in 2020, he was an associate professor in the Department of Sharia and Islamic Studies at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah.
Basfar held other positions, most notably as the former Secretary General of the World Organization for the Book and the Sunnah.
The sentence against Abdullah Basfar coincides with harsh sentences imposed by the Saudi judiciary on dozens of detainees, including advocates and activists.
Fierce attack against Saudi Arabia
The imprisonment of Abdullah Basfar sparked outrage on Twitter where a fierce attack was launched on the Saudi regime, specifically the Crown Prince and the de facto ruler of the Kingdom, Mohammed bin Salman.
One of the Twitter users Wesam Alamery wrote, “Is leading the Muslims in the written prayer that God imposed on His Messenger and his nation, peace be upon him, from above the seven heavens, a crime that deserves punishment?!.”
