News - Middle East: The American channel NBC News reported that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, portrays himself as a modern person, and launches ambitious construction projects.

The channel stated that, in fact, the Saudi state became more repressive during his reign than it was during the era of his predecessors. 

It indicated that arbitrary arrests and detention of human rights defenders and government critics increased during the era of bin Salman.

The report indicated that Saudi Arabia has adopted a long-term strategy of investing in sports and celebrities to distract attention from its bad reputation.

The channel confirmed that it will use the money for sports washing; To reduce concerns about human rights violations in the Kingdom.

intercontinental suppression:

The international "Newsy" website said that the Saudi government is one of 36 governments around the world perpetrating cross-border repression.

The popular website stated that Riyadh is one of the governments that is making great efforts to find its opponents abroad. He noted that Saudi Arabia has a cyber army tasked with monitoring dissent on social media. 

Human Rights Watch said that bin Salman remains a brutal dictator, he has severely suppressed all dissent in the kingdom.
In a statement, the organization stressed that the young crown prince still has a poor human rights record, and America should not rehabilitate his image.

It indicated that bin Salman increased his repression and torture of his critics inside the kingdom. It also stated that the repression of dissidents, human rights activists and independent critics in Saudi Arabia continues.

Bin Salman's repression continues:

The reports confirmed that bin Salman is proceeding with the same intensity, despite the release of some prominent activists early this year. They pointed out that the authorities continue to target and harass opponents and their families using a variety of methods.
Including the imposition and renewal of arbitrary travel bans, and arbitrary detention of their family members in ways that amount to collective punishment. The reports explained that the authorities sentenced 3 men in March and April to long prison terms on charges related to their peaceful dissent and expression.

 “Saudi Arabia’s release of several prominent activists does not signal a softening of repression when the country’s terrorism court is spitting out 20-year sentences for peaceful criticism,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The Saudi authorities may have let a few people out to lessen the international pressure, but their attitude toward dissidents remains the same.”

On April 5, Saudi Arabia’s terrorism court sentenced an aid worker, Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, 37, to 20 years in prison, followed by a 20-year travel ban, on charges that relate to his peaceful expression.

On April 20, the same court sentenced a human rights activist Mohammed al-Rabea to six years in prison on a host of vague and spurious charges related to his activism. Sources close to both cases say that Saudi authorities tortured them in detention and compelled them to sign false confessions.