Activists raise alarm in Saudi over crackdown, arrest of 20 preachers

Activists in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia have raised an alarm over a a two-day crackdown on no less than 20 individuals, preachers, scholars and prominent Saudi intellectuals.

According to reports, activists dedicated to monitoring and documenting what they describe as “prisoners of conscience” reported on social media on Tuesday that at least eight prominent figures, including clerics, academics, television anchors and a poet, had been “confirmed” detained since Monday.

However, Saudi state news agency SPA said authorities were uncovering “intelligence activities for the benefit of foreign parties” by an unnamed group of people. It did not comment on the reported arrests.

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More arrests, including several of the same people, were reported by ALQST, a London-based Saudi rights group, although it gave no specific figure about those nabbed by Saudi security operatives.

“[Salman] Al-Awdah, [Awad] al-Qarni, Farhan al-Malki and Mostafa Hassan [are confirmed],” said Yahya al-Assiri, ALQST head, referring to four of those reported to have been arrested.

“The rest are also correct, but I don’t have any specific information,” he added.

A Saudi security source told Reuters news agency the suspects were accused of “espionage activities and having contacts with external entities including the Muslim Brotherhood”, which Riyadh has classified as a “terrorist” organisation.

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