Amnesty International: Three people arrested and freedom of expression further restricted in Saudi Arabia
Amnesty International said Saudi authorities have imposed strict restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information in relation to the war and regional developments, amid a growing climate of fear and self-censorship.
The organization stated that on March 2, the Saudi Ministry of Interior issued a public warning urging people to rely exclusively on official sources for information related to the war and security developments.
Although Saudi authorities have not officially announced arrests linked to expression, unlike some other Gulf states, Amnesty International said it concluded that at least three foreign nationals were arrested over online posts related to the war.
According to the organization, one individual was detained after sharing videos of airstrikes, another over content authorities considered “misleading,” and a third after expressing sympathy for parties involved in the conflict.
Amnesty also reported that Saudi Arabia requested Meta in April 2026 to restrict access to 144 accounts and pages on social media platforms over content related to geopolitical conflicts, security developments, political satire, or material deemed offensive to religious sensitivities.
The organization said these restrictions intensified a climate of fear, citing a worker who deleted photos of damage from a strike targeting a petrochemical complex out of fear of prosecution before officials searched his and his colleagues’ phones to ensure no information had been shared.
Amnesty quoted a journalist based in Riyadh as saying the restrictions severely hindered his ability to identify witnesses and document incidents, adding that people no longer speak openly about events or their feelings because of an “overwhelming climate of fear.”
Amnesty International stressed that criminalizing peaceful expression and using cybercrime laws to restrict public discussion have deepened Saudi Arabia’s highly restrictive information environment, where independent coverage is suppressed and official narratives dominate the media landscape.
