Lawsuit Claims Twitter Turns ‘Blind Eye’ to Saudi Torture, Suppression

A Saudi Arabian journalist recently hit Twitter with a lawsuit claiming the social media platform ignores Saudi Arabia’s suppression of dissenters.

Plaintiff Ali Al-Ahmed is an activist, journalist and prominent political dissident against Saudi Arabia. After facing persecution in Saudi Arabia and being granted political asylum by the United States, Al-Ahmed claims he has made it his goal to bring awareness to Saudi Arabia social and political concerns. According to his recent lawsuit, he accomplishes much of his work through his prominent social media presence.

Unfortunately, his Twitter account was suspended in May 2018 “without explanation or warning,” his lawsuit claims. Al-Ahmed attributes this issue to what he views as Saudi Arabia’s “control” over the social media website.

“Because of the tremendous wealth of key figures in KSA, major corporations, including Twitter, Inc., have enabled, collaborated with, aided and abetted, and turned a blind eye to KSA’s efforts to suppress, torture, falsely imprison, terrorize, and murder dissenters both within Saudi Arabia and around the world,” the Twitter lawsuit claims.

In 2011, Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal reportedly purchased $300 million in Twitter stock. In 2015, after he made an additional investment, Bin Talal increased his share so that he owned 5.2% of the company. According to Al-Ahmed, this means that Bin Talal owned more of the company than Twitter’s own founder and CEO.

In 2018, after allegedly being “imprisoned and perhaps tortured” by Saudi Arabia, Bin Talal signed over many of his assets to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Since this change of control, Bin Salman has reportedly used his significant shares in the company to exercise control over Twitter’s operations.

In fact, in November 2019, the federal government reportedly charged two Twitter employees of stealing private user information from individuals who spoke out against the Saudi Arabian regime.

The Twitter lawsuit claims that employees disclosed country codes of phone numbers, account statuses and other information to individuals potentially connected with both the Chinese and Saudi Arabian governments.

Al-Ahmed says he has been personally affected by Saudi Arabia’s influence over Twitter.

In May 2018, his account was allegedly suspended along with the accounts of several other Twitter users he communicated with. Al-Ahmed says that these other users have since disappeared, been arrested or been executed.

“Indeed, several Twitter users, who either followed Mr. Al-Ahmed’s Twitter account and/or had direct contact with him through the use of private messaging, have disappeared, been arrested, or have been executed. One such example is Abdullah al-Hamid, a Saudi Dissident and follower of Mr. Al-Ahmed’s Twitter account, who was jailed and ultimately died in custody,” the Twitter lawsuit claims.

Despite the 2019 charges against Twitter employees, the social company has “inexplicably” upheld the suspension of Al-Ahmed’s social media account. As a result, he is allegedly unable to access his followers which number around 36,000.

Al-Ahmed notes that he spent many years curating and developing his list of Twitter followers – so much so that his following amounts to intellectual and proprietary property. In fact, his Twitter followers have allegedly given him credibility, income and other career benefits. However, despite the value of his following, Twitter reportedly continues to keep Al-Ahmed’s account suspended.

“The genesis of this suspension having been clearly exposed, Twitter continues to bar Mr. Al-Ahmed from access or use presumably because Twitter is in league with the KSA; preferring access to the KSA over human rights, freedom and abiding by the terms of its owner agreements made with Twitter subscribers,” the Twitter lawsuit claims.

“This is not only immoral, it is undemocratic.”

Al-Ahmed’s lawsuit brings a variety of claims including violation of the Stored Communications Act, breach of contract, invasion of privacy, negligence and more. He seeks damages, court costs, attorneys’ fees and any other relief deemed appropriate by the Court.

“By silencing Ali Al-Ahmed and countless others, Twitter is blatantly part and parcel with silencing democracy and human rights advocacy in Saudi Arabia,” Al-Ahmed’s lawyer told Law360 in a statement calling Twitter’s actions “unconscionable.”

Twitter is “essentially in the business of choosing what positions will be promoted and other positions that will be silenced,” the lawyer claimed.

“Our client has been damaged by the actions of Twitter and it’s [sic] employees and therefore has decided to file this action in order to protect his rights and obtain justice,” Al-Ahmed’s lawyer continued.

Do you think Twitter should stop suspending accounts of Saudi Arabia dissenters? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Al-Ahmed is represented by David M. Schwartz and Randy E. Kleinman of Gerstman Schwartz LLP.

The Twitter Saudi Arabia Torture Lawsuit is Ali Al-Ahmed v. Twitter Inc., Case No. 1:20-cv-04982, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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