Context
Islamist activists have criticized Saudi government’s plan to approve an anti-terror law, which rights group believe will be used against opposition in the kingdom. The unofficial Islamist Umma party, which was founded in February, posted a message on its website calling for religious scholars to denounce what it described as “laws that aim to seize the citizens’ right to criticize the government.” On Friday, Amnesty International published a smuggled copy of the Draft Penal Law for Terrorism Crimes and Financing Terrorism, claiming it would legalize extended detentions without trial that can be used against nonviolent opposition. Riyadh has rejected the allegation, saying that, if enacted, the law will be used against militants.
