Free Saudi Activists | 2 Years In Prison

The 15th of May 2020 marks two years since the beginning of a campaign of arrests of Saudi Women’s Human Rights Defenders. Since May 2018 the Free Saudi Activists Coalition has been advocating for the release of women human rights defenders (WHRDs) who were arrested in Saudi Arabia. 

Free Saudi Activists, a coalition of women human rights defenders and organizations advocating for the release of women’s rights activists from prison, hosted a webinar to update the public on the status of those who were arrested two years ago for defying the government’s ban on women driving. The arrests involved approximately a dozen women human rights defenders (WHRDs), including Loujain Al-Hathloul, who remains in prison along with other activists. Reports suggest that these WHRDs have been subject to multiple human rights violations under Saudi authority, including electric shocks, flogging, and sexual assault, and have been denied due process.

In addition to updating the public on the prisoners’ status, webinar panelists addressed the state of women’s human rights across Saudi Arabia, as well as the coalition’s campaign progress and future advocacy efforts.

Panelists provided an update on the human rights violations suffered by those who remain behind bars in Saudi Arabia, as well as a more comprehensive assessment of the state of women’s human rights in the kingdom. Free Saudi Activists Coalition members also discussed their campaign efforts to date and their future plans to secure the unconditional release of the Saudi prisoners. 

The event was organized by the Free Saudi Activists coalition.