Salma al-Shehab dey sentenced to 34 years in prison sake of her tweet

Leeds University don express deep concern for one of dia PhD students wey dey sentenced to 34 years imprisonment for Saudi Arabia sake of her tweets.

Di goment also ban her make she no travel outside Saudi Arabia for 34 years afta her jail term.

Salma al-Shehab wey be 34 year old na Saudi citizen and mother of two.

Dem arrest her for January 2021 wen she dey on holiday for di kingdom on top one tweet she post on Twitter.

Before di trip, she bin call for reforms and di release of activists.

Why Shebab dey face 34 years imprisonment?

Di charges wey di Public Prosecution file against her include "providing help to pipo wey wan disrupt public order and undermine di safety of di general public and stability of di state, she also dey publish false and biased rumours on Twitter," ALQST, one independent human rights organization tok.

One terrorism tribunal convict Shebab say she help dissidents wey wan "disrupt public order" and publish "false rumours", dem tok.

Reactions follow Shebab jail sentence

Human rights groups say di harsh sentence dem give her show say Saudi dey lie wen e tok say dem dey improve women’s rights and di mata only show say di situation dey get worse.

Dem warn say dis na di "longest prison sentence ever for a peaceful activist" for di Gulf state, where Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman don ensure crackdown on dissent for five years.

Bethany Al-Haidari, di Saudi case manager for di Freedom Initiative, describe di sentence as "abhorrent".

"Saudi Arabia dey boast to di world say dem dey improve women's rights and dey implement legal reforms. But question no dey say wit dis sentence, e only worsen di  situation," she told the BBC's Newshour programme on Saturday.

"We don also get reports say hundreds of young women dey detained around di same time dem arrest Salma."

ALQST head of communications Lina al-Hathloul, Loujain al-Hathloul's sister, say di sentence show say Saudi authorities remain "hellbent on harshly punishing anyone wey express dia opinions freely".

"Di release of Loujain al-Hathloul and oda women's rights activists come in  response to sustained international pressure. However, as di spotlight on Saudi Arabia has dey fade gradually, di authorities don go back to dia habitual pattern of repression," she tell di BBC.

Di escalation dey "connected to di growing rehabilitation" of Crown Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, she add.

One month ago US President Joe Biden meet wit di prince forJeddah, even wit di promise to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" over dia human rights record.

One Leeds University tok-tok pesin say: "We dey deeply concerned to learn of dis recent development for Salma's case and we dey seek advice on whether anything dey we fit do to support her.

"Our thoughts remain wit Salma, her family, and her friends among our close-knit community of postgraduate researchers."

One US state department tok-tok pesin say dem dey study Shehab case and "exercising freedom of expression to advocate for di rights of women should no suppose be crime".

 Saudi goment neva comment on di reports.

Who be Salma al-ShehabShehab, na member of Sunni Muslim-ruled Saudi Arabia Shia minority.

She describe herself on top her Instagram account as a dental hygienist and medical educator.

Plus she dey final year of her PhD studies for Leeds University School of Medicine.

She add say she be lecturer for di Princess Nourah University for Riyadh.

Her Twitter account, wey get 2,700 followers, neva dey updated since 12 January 2021, three days before tori of her detainment for Saudi Arabia.

For December, she tweet or retweet several messages wey dey call for reforms in Saudi Arabia and di release of prominent activists, clerics and other intellectuals.

One of her post praise “"prisoners of conscience" one group of leading women's rights activists, including Loujain al-Hathloul, wey dem arrest just before goment lift ban on women driving for 2018 and dem later find dem guilty of crimes against di state. Dem release Ms Hathloul was released on probation one month after Shehab arrest but e dey subject to a travel ban and other restrictions.

US-based human rights group The Freedom House and UK-based group ALQST bin report say Shehab bin initially chop six year prison sentence afta dem find her guilty of violating di kontri counter-terrorism and anti-cybercrime laws late last year.

On 9 August, one appeal court increase her term go 34 years and add 34-year travel ban join, wey go start afta her release, dem cite one court document. 

How Leeds University and di world dey react to Shebab jail term?

Human rights groups say di harsh sentence dem give her show say Saudi dey lie wen dem tok say dem dey improve women’s rights, di mata only show say di situation dey get worse.

Dem warn say dis na di "longest prison sentence ever for a peaceful activist" for di Gulf state, where Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin don ensure crackdown on dissent for five years.

Bethany Al-Haidari, di Saudi case manager for di Freedom Initiative, describe di sentence as "abhorrent".

"Saudi Arabia dey boast to di world say dem dey improve women's rights and dey implement legal reforms. But question no dey say wit dis sentence, e only worsen di  situation," she told the BBC's Newshour programme on Saturday.

"We don also get reports say hundreds of young women dey detained around di same time dem arrest Salma."

ALQST's head of communications Lina al-Hathloul, Loujain al-Hathloul's sister, say di sentence show say Saudi authorities remain "hellbent on harshly punishing anyone wey express dia opinions freely".

"Di release of Loujain al-Hathloul and oda women's rights activists come in  response to sustained international pressure. However, as di spotlight on Saudi Arabia has dey fade gradually, di authorities don go back to dia habitual pattern of repression," she tell di BBC.

Di escalation dey "connected to di growing rehabilitation" of Crown Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, she add.

One month ago US President Joe Biden meet wit di prince forJeddah, even wit di promise to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" over dia human rights record.

One Leeds University tok-tok pesin say: "We dey deeply concerned to learn of dis recent development for Salma's case and we dey seek advice on whether anything dey we fit do to support her.

"Our thoughts remain wit Salma, her family, and her friends among our close-knit community of postgraduate researchers."

One US state department tok-tok pesin say dem dey study Shehab case and "exercising freedom of expression to advocate for di rights of women should no suppose be crime".

Saudi goment neva comment on di reports.