Hackers Take Out Saudi Websites over Teen's Crucifixion Sentence
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Hacktivist group Anonymous has called out Saudi Arabia for its horrific human rights record by attacking the kingdom’s government websites.
The attack is in response to the upholding of a death sentence handed down to 17-year-old Mohammed al-Nimr.
Earlier in September, Nimr’s final appeal to the Saudi courts was dismissed, and his sentence of death by crucifixion for alleged anti-government activities in 2012 can now be carried out at any moment.
“Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, an innocent young teenage boy has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia and we will not stand by and watch,” Anonymous said in a statement directed at Saudi Arabia. “Naturally, the sentence was appealed but the appeal hearing was held in secret and apparently dismissed.”
Some of the websites that appear to have been knocked offline included those of the Ministry of Justice (www.saudinf.com), the Ministry of Civil Service (www.mcs.gov.sa), the General Administration of Education (tabukedu.gov.sa), PSATRI, Saudi Arabia’s technological center for its military and security sectors (psatri.ksu.edu.sa); and even Saudi Airlines (saudiairlines.com). Currently, most of the sites are back up.
“Hundreds of innocent people die each year because of the Saudi Arabian government and they will now be punished for their actions,” the group’s statement said, Russia Today reported.
The hacktivists also criticized the UK for not standing up for Nimr and not doing more to pressure Riyadh. They also attacked the UN for delegating Saudi Arabia a key “human rights role” despite the country’s questionable record.
Nimr was arrested in 2012, reportedly after participating in a protest. He was found guilty of joining a criminal group and attacking police officers. Other charges against him included using a BlackBerry device to encourage others to come out and join the protest.
The UN has called the trial “short of international standards” and asked Saudi Arabia to halt the execution. Human rights groups including Amnesty International have alleged that Nirm was tortured and forced to confess to some of the charges.