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Saudi Arabia to make movie defaming slain dissident tribal activist

Monday, 27 April 2020 6:02 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 27 April 2020 6:02 PM ]

Slain Saudi tribal activist Abdul-Rahim al-Howeiti (Photo via Twitter)

Saudi authorities are reportedly seeking to produce a movie aimed at tarnishing the image of a dissident tribal activist, who was fatally shot earlier this month in the kingdom’s northwestern Tabuk region as he resisted leaving his home to allow construction of a controversial megacity project.

Local sources told the London-based group ALQST, which is an independent non-governmental organization advocating human rights in Saudi Arabia, that regional authorities invited a number of tribal leaders to discuss the matter on the day that they returned the body of slain popular tribal activist Abdul-Rahim al-Howeiti to his family.

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The sources added that during the meeting, those authorities pledged to pay “100,000 Saudi riyals ($26,585) for each of its (the tribe’s) members, and 300,000 riyals ($80,000) for each member with the title of ‘Sheikh’ in return for their contribution to an official movie.”

The sources pointed out that the film aimed to “make the tribe disown Abdul-Rahim, as well as other members who are refusing the expulsion order by the government.”

Social media activists said Howeiti was shot dead after Saudi forces raided al-Khuraybah area, located more than 1400 kilometers (869 miles) northwest of the capital Riyadh, on April 13.

The activist was a prominent member of the large Howeitat tribe, which has lived in the area for hundreds of years.

Prior to his death, Howeiti had published numerous videos protesting the NEOM megacity project pursued by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in the area.

He had censured the House of Saud over uprooting Saudi nationals for the sake of a project that runs counter to the history and traditions of the region.

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