Saudi Arabian Academic Awad Al-Karni was sentenced to death for using social media to criticize the government. Al-Karni was arrested in 2017 for tweets that were deemed to be offensive to the royal family and for breaking laws related to cybercrime. 

Local media reported that Awad bin Mohammed Al-Qarni, a 66-year-old Saudi preacher and academic, was given the death penalty for using social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram to spread information that was deemed “hostile” to the Kingdom.

His death sentence has been widely condemned by human rights groups, who say that it is a violation of freedom of speech and a form of political repression. 

Saudi Arabia has a legal system that is based on sharia law, and the death penalty can be applied for a wide range of crimes, including murder, drug trafficking, and terrorism. 

It is true that Saudi Arabia has a poor record when it comes to human rights, including freedom of expression and the press. The government has been known to silence critical voices and restrict freedom of the press.

It is important to note that Saudi Arabia has been criticized by human rights organizations for a number of executions in recent years, but these were not targeted specifically against academics, clerics, or journalists but for crimes like murder, drug trafficking, and terrorism.

Al-Karni's case is a stark reminder of the dangers of speaking out against the government in Saudi Arabia and demonstrates the country’s unwillingness to tolerate any form of dissent.