Saudi Arabia: Stop Executing Journalists – Justice for Turki al-Jasser

King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia

Saudi journalist Turki al-Jasser was executed in June 2025 after years of secret detention and torture. His only “crime” was speaking out online.

We refuse to stay silent. Demand accountability and stand with us to defend free expression against repression and violence.

Sign the petition now or scroll down to read more details.

More details:

Saudi journalist Turki al-Jasser was executed in June of 2025 after years of secret detention and torture. His only “crime” was expressing himself online.

Saudi Arabia’s dictatorship must stop murdering peaceful critics. The ruling monarchy must stop using digital surveillance and counterterrorism laws to silence dissent. The monarchy must end its violations of the Saudi people’s human rights, including freedom of expression. Help demand freedom, accountability and an end to the targeting of journalists by Saudi Arabia’s dictatorship.

Around the world, freedom of expression is under attack, but in Saudi Arabia, the risks are especially deadly for those who criticize the ruling dictatorship.

Turki al-Jasser was a respected Saudi journalist and founder of al-Mashhad al-Saudi, a blog focused on corruption, human rights, and women’s issues. He was also accused of running an anonymous Twitter account critical of the authorities. In 2014–2015, Saudi agents infiltrated Twitter and obtained confidential data that revealed the identities of anonymous users, including allegedly al-Jasser’s.

In March 2018, he was arrested and disappeared into secret detention for seven years, denied access to family and legal counsel. During his imprisonment, al-Jasser was subjected to torture, including reportedly beatings and electric shocks. In June 2025, he was convicted of “high treason” in a process that flagrantly violated international fair trial standards. He was executed by the Saudi authorities in June.

His case exposes the dangers of government surveillance, the misuse of counterterrorism laws, and the extreme punishment faced by those who dare to speak out in Saudi Arabia.

Sign the petition. Remember Turki al-Jasser and join the call for protection of free speech and human rights in Saudi Arabia.

To: King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia
From: [Your Name]

We are appalled by your repression of freedom of expression and targeting of peaceful dissent in Saudi Arabia, as exemplified by your murder of Saudi journalist Turki al-Jasser.

Turki al-Jasser was a respected journalist and founder of al-Mashhad al-Saudi, known for covering corruption, human rights, and social issues. He was also accused of operating an anonymous Twitter/X account critical of the authorities. In 2014–2015, your government agents infiltrated Twitter and accessed confidential data that exposed the identities of anonymous dissidents, including people like al-Jasser.

Your government arrested al-Jasser in 2018. He was held incommunicado for seven years without access to family or legal representation, and subjected to severe torture, including reportedly beatings and electric shocks. In June 2025, he was executed after being convicted of “high treason” in a process that flagrantly violated international fair trial standards. His only “crime” was exercising his right to free expression.

This case highlights your ongoing misuse of so-called counterterrorism and security laws to silence critics. Journalists and activists face grave risks in Saudi Arabia. The execution of Turki al-Jasser underscores the urgent need for systemic reforms to protect fundamental rights.

We call on you to:

- Publicly acknowledge and apologize to the Saudi Arabian people for your arrest, torture, and execution of praceful activists and journalists like Turki al-Jasser.

- Stop persecuting individuals for peaceful expression and online activism.

- Guarantee the right to freedom of expression for all and uphold international human rights standards.

- Stop using digital surveillance to target peaceful critics and protect anonymity for online users.

Your narrative of reform in Saudi Arabia is meaningless so long as you are silencing voices like al-Jasser’s through imprisonment, torture, and execution. We urge you to end your repression and violence against journalists and peaceful critics.