Masked, voice modulated and anonymous — an online resistance is threatening Mohammad Bin Salman's paradise in Saudi Arabia.
A youth-led group, that calls themselves ‘The Free Masked,’ is grabbing eyeballs on the internet, after they released dozens of videos criticising the crown prince.
The videos show men, with their faces covered and modulated voices, speaking out against the Kingdom's allegedly close ties with Israel. In bold statements on social media platforms, the group has also expressed anger over the deteriorating living conditions and lack of economic opportunities, while Bin-Salman spends lavishly on entertainment events and mega projects.
But, here's the catch. The group is also rallying against any social reforms in the Islamist nation, known for its stringent laws, especially against women. The masked men slammed concerts and cultural events for promoting what they call 'moral decay'.
As the reformer prince diversifies Saudi Arabia's economic model, and reshapes its socio-political fibre, the online criticism reflects a rising wave of public discontent over his policies.
‘The Free Masked’ also marks the first organized, public opposition against the Saudi royals, despite their brutal crackdown on dissent.
According to human rights groups, the kingdom’s cybercrime and antiterror laws have been broadly applied to suppress critics, who have been handed lengthy prison sentences and travel bans over their social media activity.
Thousands of civilians have even been sentenced to death for raising their voices against the Crown Prince. A prominent example is Muhammad al-Ghamdi, a retired Saudi teacher.
In July 2023, Saudi Arabia’s counterterrorism tribunal sentenced him to death for peacefully expressing his opinions online. His tweets, retweets, and YouTube videos were used as evidence to convict him of several criminal offenses.
Saudi authorities are now building a case against the The Free Masked. They've been accused of acting in the interest of foreign powers to destabilise the kingdom. But the group is putting up a fight. The Free Masked clarified that they were an independent movement, operating without any foreign support.
They claim even Saudi military and security personnel are among members. Though the online movement said it has no interest in an armed confrontation with the Bin Salman regime, the group confirmed it has established a ‘preventive security apparatus’ to deal with any such possibility.
In one message the group claimed they had smuggled over six people from various prisons throughout the Kingdom and warned consequences if the authorities seek to arrest them again. Notably, in 2024, Bin Salman reportedly feared an assassination attempt.
This was at the time the United States was seeking to normalise ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Salman himself said there would be huge pushback against the move, and that he could be dethroned.
The Free Masked movement proved Salman had reason to be worried. One of the group's videos threatens mass uprisings against the Crown Prince, unless he changes course.
