Saudi court upholds 20-year term for critic, draws US rebuke

By AYA BATRAWY
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A court in Saudi Arabia has upheld a 20-year prison term imposed on a Saudi aid worker who had criticized the government on Twitter. The decision drew a rare public rebuke from the U.S. in another sign of tensions between the Biden administration and the kingdom. The ruling also upheld a 20-year travel ban on 37-year-old Abdulrahman al-Sadhan after his release. The State Department expressed disappointment, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described the ruling as “brutal.” The case is the latest example of the continued crackdown in Saudi Arabia against those who criticize the government and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.