Three tribesmen sentenced to death for refusing to move to £450bn Saudi megacity

Three tribesmen have been sentenced to death for refusing to leave their homes and make way for a £450 billion Saudi megacity in part of an ongoing crackdown in the country

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (

Image: AFP via Getty Images

Three tribesmen have been sentenced to death for refusing to leave their homes and make way for a £450 billion Saudi megacity.

Shadli, Ataullah and Ibrahim al-Huwaiti are members of the Huwaitat tribe that was forcibly evicted to make way for Neom, a planned megacity.

But the three men opposed the unjust expulsion of their people and were arrested in 2020.

However, according to UK-based rights group Alqst, Saudi Arabia's Specialized Criminal Court - a court responsible for dealing with terrorism cases - has handed down death sentences for each of them October 2.

In a tweet, the rights group said, "Family members arrested in 2020 for opposing eviction to make way for #Neom.

"We condemn the convictions and call for their release."

Abdul Rahim was shot dead by Saudi forces in his own home in April 2020 after protesting the displacement of residents of Tabuk province to make way for the megacity (

Picture:

Twitter)

Abdullah Aljuraywi of Alqst added: "These shocking convictions once again show the Saudi authorities' complete disregard for human rights and the cruel measures they are prepared to take to punish members of the Huwaitat tribe for legitimately protesting the forced evictions".< /p>

In April 2020, Shadli's brother, Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti, was shot dead in his home after posting videos on social media opposing the forced displacement of his tribe.

The charity also claimed that after going on a hunger strike, Shadli had a tube forced into his stomach to feed him.

The Huwaitat tribe says authorities have recently stepped up their campaign to clear land in the megacity -...