Saudi Arabia uses the language of terrorism to stamp out reformers

The Washington Post is reporting the arrests of two associates (Saleh Qassim and Walid al-Omari) of a Saudi activist (Saud Mukhtar al-Hashemi), who was arrested at the home of lawyer Essam Basrawi recently, this week. Mimicking a rising trend in the West, the Saudi government is using the language of terrorism to arrest these people, though there is little substance behind the claim that they have been involved in violent activities. Instead, the article notes:

Extensions Hashemi and some of the other detainees had planned to announce the formation of the National Reformist Grouping, Zahrani said. He had worried about being arrested after the announcement but "didn't expect to get arrested before they went public," she said.

The day they were arrested, a petition by some of the men involved in the group was made public. It called for an elected advisory council, curbs on the powers of the Interior Ministry and a more equal distribution of the country's wealth and land.

The document criticized travel restrictions on activists, bans on public demonstrations and threats of dismissal for state employees who express opinions contrary to the government's.

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