Manama: An expatriate doctor in Saudi Arabia has been sent to the general prison for posting tweets calling for a more intensive use of explosive barrel bombs by the Syrian regime.
The decision was taken as the authorities are still investigating the case that has already cost the doctor his position as the director of a hospital near the western city of Makkah.
The doctor who had been summoned by the police was questioned over the tweets that openly supported the Syrian regime and President Bashar Al Assad and called for further destruction of those who rebelled against him.
He admitted that he had posted the tweets around four months ago and that there had been a huge reaction to them, prompting him to delete them, local daily Al Watan reported on Tuesday.
The doctor, whose nationality was not revealed, said that the purpose of posting the tweets was not to support Al Assad’s political regime, but rather an indication that the current establishment, despite the injustice, was less harmful than what the Daesh terrorist group was doing to children and adults, including killing and burning them alive.
“I call for more explosive barrel bombs… The number of the barrels that have fallen is not sufficient yet,” the doctor said in one tweet.
In another tweet, he prayed for Al Assad and paid tribute to the nation that brought him.
His tweets discovered by Saudis last month sparked a wave of protests among online users who said they were shocked a doctor would call for more destruction and deaths.
“Where are the compassion and mercy you are supposed to have in large quantities as doctor?” asked Raghood, a blogger. “You are proud to support bombing defenceless children and people! You deserve the harshest punishment and let [Al] Bashar help you then.”
Several comments called for legal action against him and urged the Saudi authorities not to be lenient with him.
Riyadh shut down its embassy in Damascus and withdrew all its staff and diplomats in March 2012.
