Event Summary
On 21 January 2026, the activist Kamil al-Zoubi was sentenced to 2 years of prison after being arrested on 1 January 2026 for his online expression. Al-Zoubi has been continually persecuted since 2014 for his peaceful online expression, which has spanned critique of government policies, corruption, and Palestine solidarity — with the years of 2014, 2018-2022, and 2024-2026 all containing instances of persecution, whether through arrests, detentions, charges (under various laws), or travel ban.
His online posts in the days prior to the arrest questioned the proper use of government funding for infrastructure, critiqued the state’s attitudes towards its citizens, supporting the Palestinian cause.
He was convicted under Article 17 of the cybercrime law (publishing information that would undermine community peace) — under which his prison sentence is issued — and Article 15 of the Penal Code (vilification of an official body).
On 8 February 2026, Al-Zoubi and his lawyer announced that his sentence had been reduced from 2 years to 1 year (presumably after appealing the sentence).