Two Saudi Shias get jail terms for attending demos in Qatif

Two Shia Muslims have been sentenced to prison on charges of attending demonstrations in the eastern Saudi city of Qatif.

The sentences, which were issued by a court in Eastern Province on Wednesday, were among verdicts in the case of five men accused of holding anti-government protest rallies, AFP reported.

A Saudi source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said one of the defendants was sentenced to four months, and was released afterwards as he had already spent the time in custody.

Another defendant, who had been out of custody on bail, was imprisoned for two months, and the cases of two others were adjourned to February 10.

The fifth was acquitted for lack of evidence, the source added.

“The prosecution protested the sentences and demanded they be toughened,” the source noted.

On Saturday, the court began the trials of an unspecified number of Shias on similar charges.

There have been numerous demonstrations in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province since February 2011, with protestors calling for political reform.

Anti-government protests have intensified since November 2011, when security forces opened fire on protestors in Qatif, killing five people and leaving scores more injured.

Activists say there are over 30,000 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia.

In October 2012, Amnesty International called on the Saudi authorities to stop using excessive force against pro-democracy protestors.

“The Saudi authorities must end their repeated moves to stifle people’s attempts to protest against the widespread use of arbitrary detention in the country,” Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s director for the Middle East and North Africa, said on October 16.

“The right of people to peaceful protest must be respected and the security forces must refrain from detaining or using excessive force against people who exercise it,” he added.