US is ‘concerned’ over sentencing of Saudi aid worker

Abdulrahman al-Sadhan was reportedly sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by a 20-year travel ban.

The United States’ Department of State has said it is concerned about reports on the sentencing of a Saudi aid worker by a “counterterrorism” court and is watching the case closely. The aid worker, Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, who was detained by Saudi authorities in March 2018, was reportedly sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by a 20-year travel ban, according to a statement from State Department spokesman Ned Price. His arrest is believed to be connected to an anonymous Twitter account he ran that satirised the Saudi government. “We will continue to monitor this case closely throughout any appeals process. As we have said to Saudi officials at all levels, freedom of expression should never be a punishable offense,” Price said in a statement on Monday.