Two former Twitter employees accused of spying for Saudi Arabia

Two former employees of Twitter Inc and a 3rd man from Saudi Arabia face US costs of spying for the dominion by digging up personal person knowledge and giving it to Saudi officers in alternate for fee, in response to a grievance filed on Wednesday.

Ali Alzabarah and Ahmad Abouammo, who used to work for Twitter, and Ahmed Almutairi, who then labored for the Saudi royal household, face costs of working for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with out registering as overseas brokers, in response to a grievance filed towards them.

In keeping with the grievance, Abouammo repeatedly accessed the Twitter account of a outstanding critic of the Saudi royal household in early 2015. In a single occasion, he was in a position to view the e-mail deal with and phone quantity related to the account. He additionally accessed the account of a second Saudi critic to get personally identifiable data.

“This information could have been used to identify and locate the Twitter users who published these posts,” the Justice Division mentioned in a press release.

Saudi Arabia, a key US ally in confronting Iran, has confronted intense Western criticism over its human rights file, together with over final yr’s homicide of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and its involvement within the devastating conflict in Yemen.

Almutairi, for his half, is accused of performing as a go-between for the Saudi authorities and the Twitter employees.

Abouammo was arrested in Seattle, Washington whereas the opposite two are in Saudi Arabia, the division mentioned.

Abouammo was ordered to stay behind bars by a US Justice of the Peace decide on Wednesday pending a detention listening to set for Friday. The US Legal professional’s Workplace mentioned in a courtroom submitting it desires Abouammo detained pending trial as a result of of a “serious risk” of flight.

The 2 males got money and different rewards, equivalent to an costly watch, for the knowledge, the grievance mentioned.

The Saudi embassy didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Twitter mentioned that it was grateful to the FBI and US Justice Division. “We recognize the lengths bad actors will go to try and undermine our service,” it mentioned in a press release. “We understand the incredible risks faced by many who use Twitter to share their perspectives with the world and to hold those in power accountable.”