repressin in Saudi Arabia; not in the US press

"A Saudi court has ordered the arrest of a prominent rights lawyer who was standing trial for insulting the authorities in the kingdom and defying its ruler, the man’s wife said Wednesday.  Lawyer Waleed Abu Al Khair was already on bail for holding unauthorised meetings for reformists when he went to fifth hearing of his trial at a Riyadh court on Tuesday.  His wife Samar Badawi had not heard from him since he told her he was switching his phone off to enter the closed-hearing courtroom, and was told on Wednesday that he was in jail, she said.  “I found out today [Wednesday] from the court that the judge has ordered his arrest and he has been sent to Hair prison,” Samar told AFP by telephone.  Samar said she went to the prison where she was told that her husband is being held, but was not allowed to see him without an interior ministry permit.  “I went to the interior ministry and they told me to return in two weeks to get a permit,” she said.  No reason was given for Abu Al Khair’s latest arrest.  Abu Al Khair is on trial for “defying the ruler, insulting authorities, forming two organisations, and incitation,” according to a Tweet he posted before going to court on Tuesday."