RIYADH: Salman Al-Ansari, a renowned Saudi political analyst, said during an interview with news channel Al Arabiya that Turki Al-Jasser, who was arrested in 2018 and executed last Saturday, was not a journalist, as many posts on social media accounts claimed after his death was announced.

Al-Jasser was 鈥渓iterally a terrorist (and) a traitor, and he had nothing to do with journalism,鈥� Al-Ansari said. Media reports describing him as a journalist were a 鈥渇abrication,鈥� he added.

During the interview, Al-Ansari told Al Arabiya his sources had confirmed Al-Jasser worked for a 鈥渟ensitive government agency鈥� and had access to classified information. He added that Al-Jasser had been involved 鈥渋n the planning and financing of terrorism.鈥�