Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor sought the death penalty against prominent cleric Sheikh Salman al-Awda at the start of his trial Tuesday in Riyadh, a year after his arrest, media said.
Awda faces 37 charges, the pro-government Okaz newspaper and other media close to the Saudi government reported, without offering any details.
Awda was among more than 20 people arrested in September 2017 in a widening crackdown on dissent in the ultra-conservative kingdom.
There was no immediate statement by the public prosecutor's office.
"Reports that Saudi prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against prominent Saudi cleric Salman al-Awda," tweeted Adam Coogle, Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch.
"Bringing the death penalty into a case like this is a major escalation in the level of repression."