Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Three reform advocates were sentenced Sunday to terms ranging from six to nine years in prison, prompting a human-rights activist to call their trial a “farce.”
The three men were found guilty of sowing dissent, disobeying their rulers and sedition, said their attorney, Sheik Ibrahim al-Mubarak. Their trial, which began last year, was seen as a response by the country’s authoritarian rulers to the modest pro-reform movement’s attempts to encourage political openness.
The three were among 13 reformers arrested in March 2004 after openly criticizing the kingdom’s strict religious environment and slow pace of reform. The other 10 were released.
Some of the reformers had signed a letter to Crown Prince Abdullah calling for political, economic and social reforms, including parliamentary elections.
“The sentences were very surprising to us. They were unexpected, considering that all they did was offer advice, a point of view,” al-Mubarak said, adding that an appeal was planned.
