Three members of a Saudi Arabian tribe who oppose the futuristic “smart city” project NEOM have been sentenced to death, UN human rights specialists warned on Wednesday.
The men are from the Howeitat tribe, which traditionally lives on lands earmarked for the hyper-futuristic megacity planned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, according to UN Special Rapporteurs — experts who advise its human rights council.
“Despite being charged with terrorism, they were reportedly arrested for resisting forced evictions in the name of the NEOM project and the construction of a 170km linear city called The Line,” the experts said.