British banking analyst sentenced to a decade in Saudi prison, apparently over a tweet

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A British Bank of America expert has been sentenced to a decennary successful a Saudi Arabian situation seemingly implicit a since-deleted societal media post, according to his lawyer.

The household of Ahmed al-Doush believes the charges against him stemmed from a deleted 2018 tweet astir Sudan that did not notation Saudi Arabia and his narration with the lad of a Saudi professional successful exile, Amnesty International said successful a connection Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia’s property bureau and the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office didn’t respond to requests for comment.

He was sentenced Monday aft being accused of violating coercion and anti-cyber transgression laws.

“The nonstop tweet is unknown,” Haydee Dijkstal, al-Doush’s planetary counsel, posted Tuesday connected X, the level formerly called Twitter. “His proceedings and detention progressive just proceedings & owed process violations. The UK Gov should basal firmly against a British national’s imprisonment for allegedly exercising his escaped code rights.”

The 41-year-old British nationalist was arrested successful August astatine a Riyadh airdrome portion trying to question to Manchester, England, with his family. His woman has since fixed commencement to their 4th child.

“I seldom talk to my husband, but successful the fewer snatched conversations we person managed, it is wide that Ahmed is struggling,” al-Doush’s wife, Amaher Nour, said up of her husband’s sentencing, citing his thyroid problems and distress aft 9 months of being jailed.

The developments came portion U.S. President Donald Trump was successful Saudi Arabia, wherever respective dual nationals with Western ties and Saudis person been detained successful caller years implicit societal media posts that could beryllium viewed arsenic captious to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto ruler.