Why the Killing of Turki Al-Jasser Marks a Turning Point in the History of the Land of the Two Holy Mosques
A guest writer Dr.Sa'ad Al-Faqih
“We Regard Him Among the Greatest Martyrs”
Why the Killing of Turki Al-Jasser Marks a Turning Point in the History of the Land of the Two Holy Mosque
sSaudi Arabia executes journalist Turki al-Jasser on treason, terrorism charges
As for Turki — may God accept him — we regard him as having attained the rank of the Master of Martyrs, as in the hadith: “A man who stands up to a tyrant ruler, enjoining right and forbidding wrong, and is killed for it.” We grieve his loss and mourn the nation’s deprivation of his voice, but we are consoled by the promise of our Prophet ﷺ that such a person is granted a rank equal to that of Hamza, may God be pleased with him. This is our destiny — inescapable. There must be those who stand firmly for the truth, undeterred by opposition or betrayal, even if the tyrants imprison or kill them.
Turki’s absence is a calamity. He wielded a flowing pen, powerful words, messages that reached minds and pierced hearts — words that were a joy to reformers and a torment to oppressors. Yet the greater tragedy is not merely the loss of Turki as an activist or writer. The deeper catastrophe lies in how he was killed and how it was publicly announced — setting a precedent with ominous implications.
Mohammed bin Salman’s decision to execute Turki Al-Jasser marks a watershed moment in the history of the Saudi regime. Never before has the regime used its judicial system and formal courts to legitimize the execution of a peaceful activist — known for his nonviolence — no matter how deep his opposition to the authorities.
Yes, the regime has killed activists in prison. Yes, it has assassinated dissidents abroad without judicial rulings. Yes, it has used courts to justify executing individuals accused of using or attempting violence, or of ties to armed groups. But to use courts and judges to execute a peaceful activist is an unprecedented act that signals a dangerous new phase.
From this perspective, the execution of Turki Al-Jasser is graver than the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in terms of the looming threat it represents. Khashoggi was killed in secret by regime agents, without trial or legal procedure. The regime tried to cover up his assassination. MBS spent a long time denying any responsibility, and when he was finally cornered, he deflected blame onto a few of his “dirty dogs.”
In contrast, Turki Al-Jasser’s execution passed through every level of the judicial system — up to the Supreme Court — and the regime then proudly and publicly announced his killing as if it were a battlefield triumph, a victory over a dangerous enemy.
It’s no secret that Saudi courts are under regime control, and their primary role is to translate the despot’s orders into rulings cloaked in religious and legal garb. It is not new that these courts have issued death sentences against innocent people under the guise of vague suspicions crafted by the regime.
These courts would never have objected to executing peaceful activists if ordered. Thus, the fact that they were not used for this purpose in the past was not due to judicial resistance — it was a decision by the regime itself, perhaps recognizing that such staged trials fool no one, and that “death in custody” or extrajudicial assassination was a more convenient, less damaging route.
But this time, Mohammed bin Salman chose to kill a peaceful activist, well-known inside and outside the Kingdom for his nonviolence, whose only weapon was his words, whose only crime was his tweets and articles. And he hastened to announce the execution with language full of arrogance and intimidation, clearly intended as a warning to every peaceful activist: “Your turn is coming.”
If this event does not trigger a reaction equal to the magnitude of the crime, then the turn will indeed come for so-and-so — from the ranks of scholars, intellectuals, and activists whom MBS despises and whose popularity unsettles him. Turki Al-Jasser’s execution will become a prelude to more executions, using the same corrupted judges and theatrical trials to justify the mass elimination of some of the best voices of this nation — when regret will no longer help.
People at home and abroad reacted to Khashoggi’s murder with justified outrage, and the resulting pressure campaign embarrassed the Saudi regime and deterred it — at least temporarily — from other crimes it had intended to commit.
Now, since the crime of killing Turki Al-Jasser is even graver than that of Khashoggi — and its consequences far more dangerous — then the campaign in response must be stronger and broader. It must rise to a real level of deterrence, with tangible efforts capable of protecting this nation from the recklessness of this impulsive ruler.