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Lawyer Abdulaziz al-Hussan told Sabq that the sentences were expected but he considered the judge's order to arrest activists Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamed an "escalation" from the government, Riyadh Bureau reported.
Al-Hussan said they plan to appeal the court decision after they receive the official papers in two weeks, but until then both activists will remain in detention, a procedure he called "unjustified".
While the activists and their supporters may find the jail sentences harsh, that did not seem to be the case for the public prosecutor. Al-Riyadh reported that the prosecutor has announced after the hearing that he plans to file an objection memo soon, which means he is likely to ask for harsher sentences.
