If you stage a protest on Facebook in Saudi Arabia, you are likely to end up in Jail. The Saudi Arabian government sentenced seven men to prison with charges of staging protests and encouraging illegal gathering by means of social network Facebook, according to Human Rights Watch. With sentences ranging from five to ten years.
“Sending people off to years in prison for peaceful Facebook posts sends a strong message that there’s no safe way to speak out in Saudi Arabia, even on online social networks,” Human Rights Watch deputy Middle East director Joe Stork said in a statement.
These men were taken in Judicial Custody in September 2011 and have stayed in jail ever since. Their trial began in April, in Specialized Criminal Court accusing them of charges mentioned.
The men according to court have broken “Anti-Cyber Crime Law” pertaining to use of digital means for such protests.