An appeal court in Riyadh on Monday ratified a previous court verdict that sentenced the owner of a satellite channel to 12 years in prison, a ban on traveling for 20 years, and a prohibition on all public media appearances.

The state had found the man guilty of issuing religious edicts against the Saudi leadership through his programs on the Internet, creating sedition in society, and damaging the credibility of the government and its institutions.

The man had spread his negative views of Saudi Arabia widely on the Internet. He had established contact with and received $1.8 million from the former Libyan regime, which had not been on good terms with the Saudi government.

The man has now lost all his appeals and will have to serve his sentence.