A former Hamas representative in Saudi Arabia was sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Saudi criminal court on Sunday.
Mohammed Al-Khudari was charged with “supporting Hamas”, his brother Abdel-Majed al-Khudari told Anadolu Agency, adding that the sentence included “clemency for half the term (seven-and-a-half years)”.
His son Hani Al-Khudari was also sentenced to three years in prison, he added.
#saudiarabiarabia authorities sentenced the palestinian national, dr. mohammed al-khudari, 83-year-old, who has been detained in saudi prisons since april 2019 to 15 years with half of the term suspended, today.#FreePalestine 🇵🇸 #BDS #FreePalestinianPrisoners pic.twitter.com/4l0MsEsH1p
— crescent heart (@crescentheartt) August 8, 2021
It follows a mass trial against 69 Palestinian and Jordanian detainees accused of providing financial support to Gaza’s rulers.
Al-Khudari is an 83-year-old veteran Hamas leader who was responsible for managing the movement’s relationship with Saudi Arabia for two decades.
In February, Amnesty International said Al-Khudari had undergone surgery and was being treated for prostate cancer when the Saudi authorities arrested him and his son on April 4, 2019.
The rights group called on the Saudi king to ensure that “unfounded charges” against Al-Khudari and his son are dropped and that they are released.
Saudi Arabia sentences Hamas leader to 15 years in prison https://t.co/K2nBRkL0Ad pic.twitter.com/tLRy1J1kVF
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) August 8, 2021
There was no comment from Hamas on Sunday’s verdict.
The court on Sunday also issued various sentences against 67 other Palestinians and Jordanian prisoners, with some handed jail terms of up to 22 years, over alleged support for Hamas.
Dozens of Palestinians have been detained by Saudi authorities since February 2019, including businesspeople, academics, and students.
(The New Arab, PC, Social Media)
