Upto 10 Egyptian Nubians have been given 10-18 year prison sentances by Saudi over charges including establishing an association without permission, organising an event marking the anniversary of the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, belonging to the Muslim brotherhood which is deemed a terrorist organisation in Saudi and posting content that isnt allowed on social media.
After the decison was made on Monday by The Riyadh Criminal Court, the relatives of the charged Nubians have appealed to the Egyptian government to mediate with Saudi authorities to pardon them. There has also been outrage amongst Egyptians whom are trying to contact Egyptian MPs as well as the country’s foreign and immigration ministries for help.
The son of one of those sentanced shared his dismay and said “The verdicts passed against these people are far from fair,”
It has been said that all of those sentanced are over the age of 50 which has made their communities and family members all the more concerned about them.
Their trial which has been ongoing for over a year has been described as “grossly unfair”. Amnesty International called on the Saudi authorities earlier this year to release the men, as there is concern for them due to the fact that “some of them are older people and suffer from health problems, such as diabetes and cardiovascular issues”.
