Saudi lawyer denies kingdom’s charges http://www.islamtimes.org/vdchm6nzw23n-wd.01t2.html Islam Times - Saudi authorities have pressed charges against a young lawyer, who described the move as part of Riyadh’s policy of clampdown on human rights activists.

Saudi lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair

On Monday, Waleed Abu al-Khair was presented with the charges of tarnishing the image of the monarchy and contempt for the country’s judiciary, Reuters reported.

Prosecutors accuse him of defamation of a Saudi judge, misleading justice, and “providing false information to a foreign organization.”

But Abu al-Khair on Wednesday denied any wrongdoing, saying the charges against him are an attempt to prevent him from working on human rights cases in the kingdom.

“They want to show me that they can easily stop my human rights activities ... but in the end I am going to face this court case and I believe that I am not guilty and have not done anything that requires punishment so I will defend myself,” he said.

He could now face a fine or a prison sentence if convicted.

He had previously protested against the jailing of an activist without trial and women’s exclusion from voting in municipal elections. He had also been among 150 activists who signed a document, condemning long prison sentences by a Saudi court against 16 other campaigners.

In 2011, the 32-year-old signed petitions, demanding political reformation in the kingdom.

In March, Abu al-Khair was barred from travelling abroad for security reasons.

Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy with zero tolerance for public dissent.

In April, a court in the Saudi capital sentenced rights campaigner Mohammed al-Bajadi to four years in jail. He had been arrested in March 2011 after voicing support for families demanding the release of jailed relatives.