Originally posted to the Middle East Monitor website, 30 September, 2020.
One of six founders of the newly formed Saudi opposition party announced on Sunday his withdrawal from the group for unknown reasons, the party announced on Twitter.
The National Assembly Party (NAAS) was founded on 23 September by Saudi dissidents living abroad.
One of the founders was Shia activist Ahmed Al-Mshikhs, who left the party three days after it was established.
Along with Al-Mshikhs, the party founders were the prominent Saudi Professor Madawi Al-Rasheed, Abdullah Alaoudh, a Saudi academic who is also the son of jailed Islamic scholar Salman Al-Ouda, Saeed Al-Ghamdi, Yahya Al-Asiri and Omar Al-Zahrani.
On Twitter, NAAS wrote: “Mr Ahmed al-Mshikhs suspends his membership and withdraws from the party. We hope success for him in his future.”
NAAs said that the Saudi government practices “violence and oppression”, pointing to the increasing political detention and enforced disappearance that push people to flee the country.
It said that these were among the reasons the activists launched the new party.
Link to the original post: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200929-founder-of-new-saudi-opposition-party-drops-out/
