TIL in Saudi Arabia, a Wikipedia editor has been sentenced to 32 years of imprisonment just because of editing Wikipedia

As a past victim of GBoard I will not pile on to OP for their glaring typo. Instead, here's the quote from the Wikipedia article linked above

Osama Khalid (أسامة خالد), a Saudi Arabian former administrator of the Arabic Wikipedia, was sentenced to five years imprisonment in September 2020 for "swaying public opinion" and "violating public morals" by making edits "critical about the persecution of political activists in the country." Khalid's sentence was increased to 32 years in September 2022 as part of a campaign to lengthen the sentences of political detainees, according to Democracy for the Arab World Now and SMEX, a Lebanese non-governmental organization.

Ziyad al-Sofiani (زياد السفياني), also a former administrator of the Arabic Wikipedia, was likewise charged with "swaying public opinion" and "violating public morals" by making edits "critical about the persecution of political activists in the country." He was sentenced in September 2020 to eight years in prison and was released in March 2025.

Countries thinking they can control the influence of the internet is just so fucking frustrating. Hopefully the US doesn't get the same idea.
- I have bad news for you
Shit.
- Fixed it. I am using GBoard, though I don't know if it was me or the keyboard. Thanks for the quote and being nice.
- Lol, been there

Saudi Arabia

Osama Khalid (أسامة خالد), a Saudi Arabian former administrator of the Arabic Wikipedia, was sentenced to five years imprisonment in September 2020 for "swaying public opinion" and "violating public morals" by making edits "critical about the persecution of political activists in the country." Khalid's sentence was increased to 32 years in September 2022 as part of a campaign to lengthen the sentences of political detainees, according to Democracy for the Arab World Now and SMEX, a Lebanese non-governmental organization.

Ziyad al-Sofiani (زياد السفياني), also a former administrator of the Arabic Wikipedia, was likewise charged with "swaying public opinion" and "violating public morals" by making edits "critical about the persecution of political activists in the country." He was sentenced in September 2020 to eight years in prison and was released in March 2025.

FWIW the person appearing on the thumbnail is Bassel Khartabil Safadi, a Palestinian Syrian who for all intents and purposes was just an ordinary guy who wished for democracy in his country. A husband, open source advocate, and a friend. And someone who found himself in the extraordinary situation of being kidnapped by Assad’s security apparatus during the uprising of 2011, imprisoned, and eventually executed by the regime. Just because he advocated for freedom and democracy. As we think of the plight of the Palestinian people today and the unequal fight fought by everyone who dares speak out against the autocratic regimes of the Middle East, let’s take a moment to remember him and all those who the powers that be are keen to label terrorists and a threat to national security, many of whom are people like you and me who had the misfortune to live under regimes with virtually no respect for human rights. May he rest in peace and may the people of the Middle East, be it Muslims, Jews, atheists, or Christians, rise up and demand a life of freedom, solidarity, human rights, and dignity.