The Saudi government kills another journalist by beheading: Journalist Turki Al-Jasser

 

The Saudi government kills another journalist by beheading

Journalist Turki Al-Jasser

The Saudi government has killed another journalist by beheading him, and this time it happened within its own country, with a verdict from its politicized judiciary, based on false charges, there was no Turkish collaborator, nor was it a human error.

Journalist Turki Al-Jasser was killed under torture in the same month that Jamal Khashoggi was murdered, and this is something everyone knows. This statement is an attempt to cover up the truth.

These charges are slanderous, false accusations with no supporting evidence or even facts, simply born out of imagination, fabricated to justify their heinous crime when they killed him in October 2018 under torture, forcing him to confess to their suspicions about his connection with Qatar and a social media account called "Kashkoul."

Slander and unjust verdict, shedding the blood of innocent believers without cause. Corruption on earth through the senseless shedding of innocent blood. "Destroying the Kaaba stone by stone is less severe than killing a Muslim."

Turki Al-Jasser: A murder covered up with baseless accusations and a statement that might conceal a crime that occurred in October 2018, not in June 2025, after the rising number of deaths among #Prisoners_of_Opinion in prisons or shortly after their release.

What happened to the Saudi journalist, writer, and thinker Turki Al-Jasser is one of the most horrific crimes against thought and knowledge in this era, following the crime of the entrapment and murder of journalist #Jamal_Khashoggi, who was assassinated at his country's consulate and whose body was dismembered and hidden, a case that people are still demanding justice for. How can it be justified that the fate of a person, who only called for women's rights and social reforms that respect human dignity, should be prison and death in mysterious and unlawful circumstances? How can a regime practice oppression in its ugliest forms, creatively destroying the voices of those demanding justice? Turki Al-Jasser, who defended freedom and human rights, was tortured and killed in a brutal manner, and, worse still, fabricated and baseless charges are being used to legitimize this heinous crime.

Turki Al-Jasser was a journalist, writer, and Saudi thinker, active in human rights, advocating for the liberation of women from social restrictions that had no relation to Islamic law. He promoted the idea of political and social reform in the kingdom, emphasizing that men and women are equal in dignity and their ultimate fate. He published articles through his blog "Nafitha," which he created in March 2013, focusing on human rights and social reform issues. His blog was initially very successful, publishing 35 articles in the first year, with the number increasing to 86 articles in 2014. However, in 2015, when King Salman took power, the number of his articles drastically decreased to only 13 articles, and then his writings stopped entirely after that year.

His blog link: https://turkialjasserj.blogspot.com

Al-Jasser was also an active Twitter user, where his last tweet called for women's rights, advocating for the removal of the customs that restricted them, pointing out that these values were social, not religious. He ended his post by saying: "Men and women are equal in dignity, responsibility, and ultimate fate. Gender preferences are predestined and have no relation to nearness to God. Women's rights in Islam are derived from a fixed divine reference, not subject to customs or whims, and no gender has the exclusive right to interpret them. Deviations in understanding or applying these rights result from social confusion, religious ignorance, or political pressure, and must be corrected through a pure and authentic Islamic methodology."

Al-Jasser was a simple man, and what he said was something that every Saudi knew to be normal and not criminal. Most of the Saudi people sympathized with the suffering of the Syrian people due to the brutality they faced from Bashar al-Assad's regime and the militias he recruited from abroad.

In March 2018, Al-Jasser was arrested in a wide-scale crackdown, accused of inciting against the regime and establishing social media accounts aimed at tarnishing the authorities' reputation. In October 2018, news spread of his death in custody under torture, with reports indicating that he had been subjected to various forms of torture until he died in the same month that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed. Wikipedia still mentions that Turki bin Abdulaziz Al-Jasser was a Saudi journalist who was arrested and tortured to death while being held in one of Saudi Arabia’s prisons. His death came just a month after the killing of another Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, who was assassinated at his country’s consulate in Istanbul.

It is also worth noting that there were rumors suggesting that Al-Jasser had been running an anti-regime account known as "Kashkul" (@coluche_ar), and it was believed that he was tortured into confessing this before dying under torture in October 2018. One account monitoring human rights in Saudi Arabia claimed that his family received a call from him in 2021 after they had assumed he was dead, in which he told them he was fine. However, this claim has not been confirmed by independent sources.

On June 14, 2025, the Saudi Ministry of the Interior issued a statement announcing the execution of Al-Jasser by beheading, alleging that he had committed terrorist crimes, including espionage with foreign entities and receiving money to fund terrorist activities. However, the government did not provide any clear details or evidence for these charges, nor were trial records or public trials made available, raising many questions about the credibility of these accusations.

Legal Criticism of Turki Al-Jasser's Case:

1. Lack of Transparency in the Trial:

According to international standards for a fair trial, every defendant is supposed to face a public court where all official documents related to the case, such as trial records, including evidence and testimonies, are made public. In Al-Jasser's case, there were no clear details regarding his trial, and it is unknown how the trial was conducted or which lawyer was appointed to represent him. The absence of such transparency increases doubts about the integrity of the judicial system in handling opposition figures.

2. Torture During Detention:

There are consistent reports indicating that Al-Jasser was tortured in Saudi prisons, which is a clear violation of Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Any confessions obtained under torture are considered unlawful in most legal systems and should not be used as evidence in court. In Al-Jasser's case, there is significant doubt regarding the legitimacy of his alleged confessions.

3. Vague Charges:

The charges against Al-Jasser, such as "espionage with foreign entities" and "funding terrorist activities," remain vague and without concrete evidence. The lack of clear details surrounding these charges makes them difficult to believe. International legal standards assert that such "general" accusations should be clearly defined in a fair trial in an independent court, with clear evidence to support the claims. Authorities should not use vague charges to restrict freedom of expression.

4. Absence of a Fair Trial:

The absence of a fair trial constitutes a violation of human rights under international law. According to Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the accused should have the right to a public trial and be given the opportunity to defend themselves. In Al-Jasser's case, he was not allowed a fair trial or the opportunity to present a defense. Moreover, the date of his trial was never announced, nor was any conclusive evidence of the legal procedures followed by the authorities made public.

Human Rights Criticism of Turki Al-Jasser's Case:

1. Targeting Based on Freedom of Expression:

It appears that Al-Jasser was targeted for his political stance and his ideas on social reform and women's rights. Often, freedom of expression is suppressed by using charges against individuals demanding change or those who differ from the state's official position. This type of suppression contradicts the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which recognizes individuals' freedom to express their opinions and beliefs.

2. Torture as a Means of Suppressing Opinion:

The torture of Al-Jasser in Saudi prisons is part of a broader policy of suppressing opposition, and it is a gross violation of international treaties that prohibit torture and inhuman treatment, such as the Convention Against Torture, which Saudi Arabia has ratified. The murder of Al-Jasser under torture is considered a crime against humanity under international law, and it should not be left without a thorough and transparent investigation.

3. Systematic Suppression of Human Rights:

Al-Jasser's case is part of a broader pattern of human rights suppression in Saudi Arabia, particularly concerning prisoners of conscience. While the kingdom announces economic and social reforms, the systematic suppression of freedom of expression remains an ongoing issue. Opposing views, such as those Al-Jasser promoted regarding women's rights and political reform, are met with harsh treatment, including torture or death. Furthermore, the suppression of freedom of expression is no longer confined to prisons; it now extends to arresting individuals simply for writing or tweeting their thoughts, dreams, or emotions regarding their country’s future.

In Conclusion:

The gross injustice committed against journalist, writer, and thinker Turki Al-Jasser represents not only a flagrant violation of human rights but also an attempt to cover up the earlier crime of this noble person’s murder in October 2018. What we see today in dubious government statements about "justice" in his case is merely an attempt to conceal the truth that has been gradually revealing itself over the years. With the rising arrests of opinion leaders in the kingdom, it has become clear that the regime continues to suppress anyone who dares to express their ideas or dreams for change, even if this is done through Twitter or a small blog.

If the murder of Turki Al-Jasser passes without genuine accountability or transparent investigations, history will not forget, and the international community is now called to pressure the Saudi regime to disclose the details of Al-Jasser's trial and launch independent international investigations to reveal the truth and restore dignity to him and his family.

Al-Jasser’s case is one of the most concerning cases regarding the fate of journalism and freedom of opinion in the region. His cries of pain in defense of human rights and freedom of expression remain a beacon lighting the path for the free in prisons and detention centers, continuing to raise the red flag signaling the need for change and reform in repressive regimes.

We need real justice, not only for Al-Jasser but for all prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia

, and wherever free voices are crushed under the weight of torture and fabricated charges. We will not stop demanding freedom and justice, and no lies or false accusations will cover up the crime committed against a person who chose to raise his voice against injustice.