Let me define a "moderate Arab regime": U.S. ally Saudi Arabia sentenced a human rights activist to eight years in prison for speaking about the regime’s systematic use of torture, assassinations and enforced disappearances

"A so-called counter-terror court in close U.S. ally Saudi Arabia sentenced a human rights activist to eight years in prison for speaking about the regime’s systematic use of torture, assassinations and enforced disappearances, and for calling for the right to peacefully protest." "The U.S., which did more than $100 billion in arms deals with the Saudi regime from 2010 to 2015, calls it a “close ally.” U.S. government officials frequently visit the kingdom, which sits on the second-largest oil reserves in the world, and “reaffirm the enduring strength of the U.S.-Saudi bilateral relationship.” " (thanks Amir)