Rights groups call on Saudi Arabia to release women's rights defenders
Riyadh urged to unconditionally drop charges against Loujain al-Hathloul and other activists
Loujain al-Hathloul and 12 other women's rights activists are facing 'sham trials' in Saudi Arabia (AFP/File photo)
MEE staff-15 May 2020
Authorities in Saudi Arabia have been urged to release prominent female
activists whose arrests two years ago triggered a sweeping crackdown on
dissent.
Loujain al-Hathloul, an advocate for women's rights in the kingdom, was among several female activists arrested on 15 May, 2018.
She was apprehended in the United Arab Emirates and deported to Saudi
Arabia, weeks before the much-publicised lifting of the kingdom's
driving ban in June 2018 - a right she had long championed.
In a statement released
on Friday marking the two-year anniversary of the arrests, 17
organisations including Amnesty International, the Project on Middle
East Democracy (POMED) and Code Pink called on the US to press for their
release and for Washington to "reevaluate" its relationship with
Riyadh.
"We, the undersigned, call on Saudi authorities to end their campaign to
silence dissent and repress freedom of expression, release all
prisoners of conscience, and immediately and unconditionally drop legal
charges against them," the statement said.
"By arresting the very women - including Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain al-Hathloul, Eman Al-Nafjan,
Hatoon al-Fassi, and Aziza al-Yousef - who had long peacefully
advocated for the right to drive and other basic rights, as well as at
least four men who supported their efforts, the Saudi government sent a
chilling message that any expression of dissent or effort to improve the
rights of Saudi citizens would be harshly punished."
Speaking with Newsweek on
Friday, Loujain's sister, Lina, said the activist was "losing hope"
after her trial date was pushed back indefinitely due to the coronavirus
pandemic.
"We can hear that she's losing hope," Lina said. "It's really worrying that my parents can't visit her."
Her family have previously said she has been subject to torture and sexual abuse while in prison.
'Striking lack of due process'
Amnesty International said last week that 13 of the women's rights activists were facing "sham trials" over charges that include communicating with journalists and human rights organisations.
"The trials have been marked by a striking lack of due process:
The defendants were not informed of the charges against them prior to
the trial; they were not allowed to speak during the hearings; and their
lawyers and foreign journalists were barred from attendance," the
groups said.
Eight of the 13 detainees have been granted temporary release but are
still facing charges, while Hathloul and four others are still in jail.
The groups added that the crackdown on women's rights defenders was part
of a broader campaign of repression led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman, citing the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, the war in Yemen
and arrests of numerous peaceful activists.
Friday's statement also called on the US government and international
community to call for "the release of these women’s rights activists,
journalists, and all other prisoners of conscience".
It urged governments to reconsider their participation in the G20 summit that is set to be held in Riyadh in November.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly ignored calls from rights groups and foreign governments to free the activists.
Last year, the European Parliament called for the "immediate and
unconditional" release of the detainees, while UN experts have called
the detention of women's rights activists "shockingly hypocritical".
