In recent years, there has been a radical shift in the way Saudi Arabia deals with women. Despite promoting legal reforms and lifting previous restrictions, there has been a campaign of suppression and violence against women activists and human rights defenders.
Between May and July 2018, Saudi Arabia witnessed a prominent targeting of women, leading to arrests followed by violence, torture, and arbitrary sentencing of prominent human rights defenders. The pattern of violations has been escalating, but due to the lack of official numbers and the absence of transparency, it is challenging to determine the exact number of female detainees. Nevertheless, various cases highlight the Saudi government's treatment of women from different nationalities.
Recently, the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights documented information about some female detainees who faced abuse of counterterrorism and cybercrime laws for their activities on social media:
Manal al-Otaibi
She is a 29-year-old athlete and social media activist who was arrested on November 16, 2022, in Riyadh. She used to share sports and entertainment content on social media, along with videos of herself walking in public without wearing the traditional abaya.
In January 2023, the case was presented before the criminal court, which ruled that it lacked jurisdiction, so the case was referred to the specialized criminal court that deals with terrorism and state security cases. According to the information, the prosecution charged the defendant with various offences, including violating public morals, and religious principles, and inciting individuals in society to commit sinful acts and publicly declare them.
The Al-Otaibi case reveals contradictions between Saudi Arabia's claims in reality and its media promotion, as well as the disparity between what is allowed for foreigners and what is prohibited for Saudi women. There are vague laws concerning women, allowing for flexible interpretations of public morals and religious principles, which leave ample room for subjective implementation and abuse.
Fatima Shawarib
A Twitter activist using a pseudonym, she was arrested in September 2020 and faced charges related to expressing opinions on Twitter and defending prisoners of conscience. In June 2023, she was sentenced to 30 years and six months in prison.
Rania Asal
An Egyptian journalist and member of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, she travelled to Saudi Arabia in February 2023 to perform Umrah with an Egyptian delegation. After four days after her arrival, she was arrested and unable to communicate with her family, causing psychological trauma to her child and severe health problems for her parents. The arrest was allegedly due to her tweets on Twitter.
She was arrested along with her son Ahmed Al-Halili on April 17, 2022, from her home in Riyadh, shortly after her son's return from Yemen. Reports indicate that she has been forcibly disappeared since then.
Rahaf Al-Qahtani
A well-known social media activist in Saudi Arabia known for her entertainment content. In May 2023, she was arrested, and later news emerged of her receiving a 5-year prison sentence and a fine for a video in which she talked about the Saudi Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.
Munira Al-Qahtani
A 55-year-old Kuwaiti citizen suffering from cancer. On May 11, 2023, she was arrested along with some of her children and relatives without knowing the reason. On July 13, it was reported that the case was referred to the Specialized Criminal Court. Despite her family's efforts to contact Kuwaiti authorities and appeal to the Saudi royal court and the Crown Prince, the reason for her arrest remains unknown, but information suggests it might be related to a legal case filed against the Saudi Crown Prince in the United States.
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights indicates that the information suggests the number of female detainees is higher and includes women from various nationalities. The context in which these arrests and sentences occur indicates that there are unknown issues at play. The organization believes that the actions of the Saudi government, such as the previous sentencing of Salma al-Shahab, Nora al-Qahtani, and Mahdia al-Marzouki to decades of imprisonment and travel bans based on their tweets, demonstrate the government's approach. The Saudi government continues to detain, harass, and restrict the travel of numerous women human rights defenders, including Loujain al-Hathloul, Samar Badawi, and Mariam al-Otaibi, Manal al-Otaibi's sister, among others.
The organization emphasizes that the harassment faced by women activists, human rights defenders, and social media influencers reflects the reality of how the Saudi government deals with any opinion or voice that does not align with its promoted narrative. Moreover, it highlights the increased suppression and violations against women in Saudi Arabia.