Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

Arabic press review: Saudi court sentences more Jordanians and Palestinians

Arabic press review: Saudi court sentences more Jordanians and Palestinians

Meanwhile, Palestinian factions warn of escalating violence over Gaza siege, and Algeria sentences journalist for reporting Tuareg protests against the government

Judicial authorities in Saudi Arabia have issued futher prison terms for Palestinians and Jordanians detained in the kingdom, according to the Prisoners of Conscience Twitter account known for following news of arrests in the kingdom.

Dozens of Palestinians and Jordanians, including the former Hamas representative in Saudi Arabia and his son, were sentenced on Sunday after a mass trial.

Among those newly sentenced, according to the group, were Hussein Yaish (16 years in prison), Hamza Dweik and Mahmoud Ghazal (12 years each), and Bilal al-Akkad (four years).

Prisoners of Conscience said it had also received reports that several Jordanian and Palestinian detainees were tortured, "to force them to give up classified data about the resistance in Palestine".

"They were beaten on sensitive parts of their bodies, and some of them lost so much weight," the group said.

In exchange for providing information, Saudi intelligence officers offered reduced sentences, the group added.

Several of the Palestinian and Jordanian detainees who have been granted release by the court remain in detention, according to the account.

Palestinian resistance ready to escalate over Gaza blockade


Palestinian resistance factions in the Gaza Strip have told Arabi21 that Israel's continued refusal to end the siege in Gaza could lead to an escalation, the news site reported on Thursday.

In an exclusive statement to Arabi21, faction representatives said they are "conducting an assessment of the current situation in light of the occupation's procrastination and disavowal of fulfilling its obligations in relation to ending the siege".

The groups said they are studying "the gradual return to means of popular escalation and its coarse tools".

They added that they feel resentful over the way Israel has handled their demands and circumvented the results of the fighting in May, in particular delaying reconstruction and closing crossings.

"The resistance is holding discussions about mechanisms of pressure against the Israeli occupation, including gradual escalation, even if this leads to exacerbating tension majorly," the statement said.

They also said that they remain in contact with mediators, particularly the Egyptians and Qataris.

Algerian journalist jailed over Tuareg protest


An Algerian court sentenced a journalist to one year in prison after he reported on protesting Tuareg tribes who accuse the government of seizing their land, The New Arab reports.

Rabah Karach was arrested on 19 April after his report was published and has remained imprisoned ever since.

A court in southern Algeria convicted Karach of running an electronic account spreading news that “would incite discrimination and hatred in society", deliberately promoting false news, and “acting by any means to undermine the integrity of the homeland", according to the newspaper.

He will serve eight more months to complete the one-year sentence, the court ruled.

Karach's arrest sparked a wave of protests by his colleagues, especially after President Abdelmadjid Tebboune described him ahead of his sentencing as "an arsonist".

Reporters Without Borders has previously demanded Karach's release and that all charges against him are dropped.

One divorce every two minutes in Egypt


A divorce occurs every two minutes in Egypt, while two marriages happen every minute, Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics announced this week.

In reaction to the news, MP Martha Mahrous proposed that the government form a family guidance committee to organise courses for couples preparing to marry, the London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi reported.

The committee would be comprised of members of the Ministry of Social Solidarity, religious leaders, and health and mental health institutions, Mahrous said.

The courses would aim to raise awareness about the rights and duties of married couples while providing cultural, health and sexual advice. Completing a course should be mandatory for marriage, she said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Syria Holds First Elections Since Fall of Assad
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
×