Turki bin Abdulaziz al-Jasser

Turki bin Abdulaziz al-Jasser
تركي بن عبد العزيز الجاسر
Died(2025-06-14)14 June 2025
Saudi Arabia
Cause of deathExecution
CitizenshipSaudi Arabia[1]
Occupations
  • Blogger
  • journalist[1]
Known forAccused of operating the anonymous Twitter account Kashkol (كشكول)
Criminal charges
  • High treason[2][3]
  • Communicating with hostile parties
  • Financing terrorist activities[4]
Criminal penaltyDeath
Criminal statusExecuted

Turki bin Abdulaziz al-Jasser (died 14 June 2025) was a Saudi blogger and journalist.[1][3] Al-Jasser was allegedly running a Twitter account[2] called Kashkol (Arabic: كشكول) as a public square for Saudi citizens to receive information on the Arab Spring, women's rights, and corruption,[3] and to express their opinions.[5][6][7] He was arrested during a raid on his home in 2018 and detained for seven years, during which time he was allegedly tortured,[8][9] and executed on 14 June 2025.[10]

Career

Al-Jasser founded the news blog Al-Mashhad Al-Saudi and contributed to the now-closed newspaper Al-Taqrir.[11] He ran a personal blog between 2013 and 2015 and wrote about topics including the Arab Spring, women's rights, and corruption.[12]

Arrest and detention

Saudi authorities arrested al-Jasser in 2018 and accused him of operating the anonymous X (then Twitter) account Kashkool, which reported allegations of corruption and human rights abuses linked to the Saudi royal family, according to Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists.[13][14] Human Rights Watch said the legal proceedings were not publicly documented and that the case was shrouded in secrecy.[15]

Trial and execution

On 14 June 2025, Saudi authorities announced that al-Jasser had been executed in Riyadh on charges including treason.[16]

Reactions

In July 2025 UNESCO's then Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, condemned the execution, calling capital punishment against journalists an attack on freedom of expression and press freedom.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c Behrendt, Moritz (16 June 2025). "Turki al-Jasser hingerichtet – Saudi-Arabiens Umgang mit kritischen Journalisten" [Turki al-Jasser executed – Saudi Arabia's treatment of critical journalists]. Deutschlandradio (in German). Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Reign of terror in Saudi Arabia: the execution of journalist Turki al-Jasser demands an international response". Reporters Without Borders. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Saudi-Arabien richtet Journalisten hin" [Saudi Arabia executes journalist]. Die Zeit (in German). 15 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  4. ^ "خيانة وتخابر وتمويل للإرهاب.. تنفيذ القتل تعزيرًا بحق مواطن في الرياض" [Treason, Espionage, and Terrorism Financing: Execution by Ta'zir Punishment of a Citizen in Riyadh]. Sabq (in Arabic). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 14 June 2025. Archived from the original on 15 June 2025. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  5. ^ "Saudi Arabia's war on journalism". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Saudi journalist tortured to death in prison". Middle East Monitor. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  7. ^ "Khashoggi's killing is not the only crime". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  8. ^ Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (18 June 2025). "A Saudi journalist tweeted against the government – and was executed for 'high treason'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  9. ^ Levin, Gabe (15 June 2025). "Saudi Arabia executes a journalist after 7 years behind bars. Activists say it was over his tweets". AP News. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  10. ^ "Saudi Arabia executes journalist Turki al-Jasser on treason, terrorism charges". Committee to Protect Journalists. 14 June 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  11. ^ "UNESCO Director-General condemns the execution of journalist Turki al-Jasser in Saudi Arabia". UNESCO. 1 July 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  12. ^ Levin, Gabe (15 June 2025). "Saudi Arabia executes a journalist after 7 years behind bars. Activists say it was over his tweets". AP News. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  13. ^ "Saudi Arabia: Executions Surge in 2025". Human Rights Watch. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  14. ^ "Saudi Arabia executes journalist Turki al-Jasser on treason, terrorism charges". Committee to Protect Journalists. 14 June 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  15. ^ "Saudi Arabia: Executions Surge in 2025". Human Rights Watch. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  16. ^ Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (18 June 2025). "A Saudi journalist tweeted against the government – and was executed for 'high treason'". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  17. ^ "UNESCO Director-General condemns the execution of journalist Turki al-Jasser in Saudi Arabia". UNESCO. 1 July 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
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