THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Saudi Arabia now imposes prison sentences of three to 20 years on citizens who fight in conflicts outside the kingdom. The decree, issued by the Saudi Royal Court, also says that Saudi citizens who join extremist terrorist groups or supports them materially or through incitement would face even lengthier sentences ranging from five to 30 years.
The 2014 proclamation appeared aimed at stemming the flow of Saudi fighters to Syria. That country’s civil war is believed to have lured hundreds of young Saudis who might return home and commit violence in the kingdom.
The Saudi government claimed the right to curtail actions and speech responsible for “damaging the status of the kingdom” among its Middle Eastern neighbors and in the world at large.
Saudi officials and high-level clerics have largely spoken out against young Saudis joining extremists in Syria. The decree comes after a sweeping new counterterrorism law came into effect in the kingdom earlier in the year.