Fresh scrutiny of free speech in Saudi Arabia after brothers’ convictions over tweets

Crown prince criticised bad laws' for Mohammed al-Ghamdi's death sentence months before second conviction

Fresh questions have been raised about the suppression of free speech in Saudi Arabia after the brother of a man facing the death penalty for tweeting to 10 followers was handed a 20-year sentence for largely innocuous tweets.

The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, had said Mohammed al-Ghamdi was a victim of bad laws" after being sentenced to death, yet the crown prince permitted the same laws to be used to sentence Ghamdi's younger brother, Asaad al-Ghamdi.