Human rights activist Mikhlif Al-Shammari has been sentenced to 2 years in prison and 200 lashes for associating with Shia Muslims in Saudi Arabia.

The Court of Appeal in Dammam has upheld the judgement against Al-Shammari in November 2014. The initially judgement had been altered from stating that he was sentenced due to his ‘association with Shia Muslims’ to claiming in the new judgement that Al-Shammari’s had ‘association with violent Shia Muslims’.

Al-Shammari, a writer, has used his role as the representative of the Sunni Al-Shammar tribe to improve ties with Saudi Arabia’s Shia minority, based in the Eastern Province. He has strongly opposed and criticised the government for their human rights violations, many of which have targeted Shia Muslims.

In 2013, Al-Shammari was sentenced to five years in prison for exposing human rights abuses in the Kingdom.