Unveiling Saudi Espionage: Twitter Scandal and Legal Repercussions

In this article, we will delve into the intricate web of the Saudi espionage scandal on Twitter, encompassing charges of fraud, money laundering, and document manipulation, leading to significant legal repercussions and investigations.

The revelation of a Saudi employee has brought to light the activities of the "cyber mice" and the espionage conducted by the Saudi company "SMAAT" against the critics of Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, in foreign countries.

Additionally, suspicions have arisen regarding its questionable associations with international companies outside of Saudi Arabia. "SMAAT" is reportedly founded by Saudi officials Ahmed Aljbreen and Bader al-Asaker, who share a close relationship with Mohammed bin Salman.

The increasing number of electronic espionage weapons purchased by Mohammed bin Salman from Israel and America has raised concerns among Saudis who oppose the Al Saud family's approach. This is particularly true for those who have fled the country.

Meanwhile, the company "SMAAT" is one of the espionage tools utilized by Bin Salman to target Saudi Arabia's opponents outside the country. It also maintains questionable relationships with international companies located outside of Saudi Arabia.

The headquarters of "SMAAT" is located in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The company has established strong connections with several members of the ruling family and offers them marketing services on various social media platforms.

There is significant apprehension that the company could potentially be involved in facilitating clandestine assassination operations, similar to the tragic incident involving Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018.

Meanwhile, the "Yaqza" network has released a documentary called "Espionage and Saudi Opponents" in the online realm. The documentary delves into the surveillance activities conducted by the Saudi ruling family to track and suppress their adversaries and political opponents.

The documentary, which was initially aired on YouTube, received a significant response and was subsequently shared and re-broadcasted by numerous users and activists in the online community, particularly among Saudi opponents. Notably, prominent Saudi activist Omar bin Abdul Aziz was among those who shared the film.

The documentary initially explores the historical context of espionage, examining its presence in various countries such as China and the former Soviet Union. It highlights notable instances, including the US nuclear case, where espionage played a significant role in obtaining crucial and potentially hazardous images and documents that were utilized by the former Soviet Union.

The documentary attributes the former Soviet Union's success in developing a nuclear bomb to the efforts of these spies, who were able to acquire vital information and technology necessary for its creation.

Following the comprehensive introduction, the film shifts its focus towards the actions and espionage endeavors of Mohammed bin Salman against Saudi citizens. It highlights that although these targets were not related to nuclear objectives like those of the former Soviet Union, they were subjected to surveillance and other covert activities.

The film further emphasizes that Saudi Arabia possessed specific tools and methods that it employed to conduct surveillance on its citizens residing abroad.

The narrative unfolds in 2017, when Saoud al-Qahtani, the advisor to the Saudi crown prince, issued threats to the owners of fake Twitter accounts, asserting that these accounts would not guide them towards their intended goals.

Additionally, the advisor to Bin Salman, who maintained a close relationship with him, asserted that there were means to track down these fake accounts and that countries possessed tools and methods to access them.

The documentary strongly emphasized that Saudi Arabia has engaged in the practice of purchasing and recruiting notable and influential individuals, including Twitter employees, to carry out espionage activities against Saudi opponents.

The film narrates the story of Ali Alzabareh, a young Saudi man whose journey commenced in 2015. He entered into an agreement to engage in espionage by monitoring over 6,000 user accounts belonging to opponents of the Saudi regime on Twitter. As a result of his actions, numerous individuals were subsequently arrested.

Multiple human rights organizations in the Middle East have declared their success in identifying six Saudi citizens who operated fake accounts to criticize the Saudi regime.

On the contrary, the Twitter management took action against "Alzabarah" for unauthorized access to Twitter accounts. It was discovered that Alzabareh had attempted to uncover the IP address, email address, residential address, and phone number of the opponents he was targeting.

Meanwhile, the FBI, with assistance from an individual named "Ahmed Aljbreen," released photographs and personal information of the individuals under investigation, including their date of birth and contact numbers. This exchange of information occurred in return for financial incentives and promises of employment.

Of particular significance is the involvement of the "Musk" organization in manipulating Saudi youth to collaborate with them in espionage endeavors. The Musk Organization, established in March 2011 as a non-profit entity by Mohammed bin Salman, played a pivotal role in these activities.

According to the organization's assertions, it assumes a significant role in promoting knowledge and management abilities among Saudi youth. However, the crucial aspect to note is that the administration of this organization is overseen by prominent Saudi figures, including bin Salman and Bader al-Asaker, who holds the executive management position within Musk.

As per the organization's founders, Musk places its emphasis on Saudi youth, their talents, and fostering their growth and development. However, beneath the facade of charitable initiatives, this organization has faced allegations of engaging in questionable security activities. These accusations include the recruitment of hackers and spies, both within and outside Saudi Arabia, with the objective of suppressing opponents.

Meanwhile, the Twitter account "New Promise," renowned for its political disclosures, has brought to light a fresh revelation concerning Ahmed Aljbreen.

According to a post by New Promise, Ahmed Al-Mutairi, the CEO of SMAAT Company implicated in the scandal of Mohammed bin Salman's Twitter spies, has reportedly been relocated to his position within the Royal Court of Saudi Arabia to collaborate with Saoud al-Qahtani.

Continuing its series of tweets, New Promise disclosed the fate of Ahmed Aljbreen, the alleged spy of Mohammed bin Salman. It stated that following Aljbreen departure from SMAAT Company and the subsequent dismissal of 35 employees, the company is now on the verge of collapse, taking its final breaths.

According to New Promise, Ahmad Aljbreen found himself in a difficult situation following the American case. He reached out to Badar al-Asaker to inquire about his future, only to be informed that he was prohibited from leaving and that his prospects seemed bleak. In response, Badar al-Asaker assured Aljbreen that the issue was a matter of time and that the problem would eventually be resolved.

It is worth mentioning that in July 2020, the US Department of Justice compiled and presented a fresh set of charges in the case involving the Saudi regime's alleged espionage against Saudi opposition figures through Twitter. Alongside the initial accusations, the court also included charges related to fraud, money laundering, forgery, and document manipulation.

Shortly after the US Attorney's Office filed a request to dismiss the charges in the aforementioned case, the US Department of Justice released a fresh set of charges against three defendants. Leading the list is Ahmed Al-Mutairi, also known as Ahmad Aljbreen, who is identified as the assistant manager of the Saudi crown prince's office. The other two individuals are Ahmed Abu Amu, a former Lebanese employee of Twitter, and Saudi national Ali Alzabarah.

The updated indictment now comprises seven charges, expanding from the initial two. Among the significant charges are engaging in unauthorized work for a foreign country without the knowledge of the Department of Justice, money laundering, sabotage, illegal possession, and the alteration or falsification of records during a federal police investigation.

Additionally, new evidence has been presented, demonstrating that Ahmed Aljbreen established another company to facilitate the transfer of information to "SMAAT" company, which is under the management of Badar al-Asaker.