Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al Hathloul jailed despite international criticism

Despite a global outcry, one of Saudi Arabia’s prominent rights activist who campaigned for women’s right to drive has been sentenced to six years in prison. Loujain al Hathloul and her pre-trial imprisonment for the past two and half years have drawn international criticism from rights groups, members of the US Congress, and European Union lawmakers. The 31-year-old has been defiantly outspoken about human rights in Saudi Arabia and she, along with other activists, was detained in 2018 on charges including contacts with organisations hostile to the kingdom. 

On December 28, the Specialised Criminal Court in Riyadh, which was set up to deal with terror cases, convicted Loujain on various charges including trying to harm national security and advance a foreign agenda. The court is said to have suspended two years and 10 months of the sentence in addition to the time already served in prison which would see her released in around two months. However, her family has said that they still intend to appeal the conviction. 

According to the Associated Press, Loujain’s family has said that the 31-year-old activist will be barred from leaving the kingdom for five years and required to serve three years of probation after her release. They have also said that Loujain has been tortured in jail, although these claims have been denied by Saudi authorities. Now, Loujain has 30 days to appeal the verdict. 

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Rights activists call the verdict ‘shocking’ 

Loujain's case has drawn international criticism over years with many decrying the Saudi authorities. Rothna Begum, who is a senior women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, described the verdict as “absolutely shocking”. Human rights group ‘Prisoners of Conscience’, which focuses on Saudi political detainees, also said that Loujain could be released in March 2021 based onetime served.

Moreover, Human rights experts have also said that her trial did not meet international standards. Back in November, Amnesty International had condemned her transfer to the Specialised Criminal court, saying it exposed “the brutality and hypocrisy” of Saudi authorities. 

According to a Saudi media outlet, Loujain on Monday was found guilty by the kingdom’s anti-terrorism court on charges including agitating for change, pursuing a foreign agenda, using the internet to harm public order, and cooperating with individuals and entities that have committed crimes under anti-terror laws. All the above-mentioned charges come under the country’s broadly-worded counterterrorism law. Meanwhile, Loujain was among a handful of Saudi women who had openly called for the right to drive before it was granted in 2018 and for the removal of male guardianship laws in the country that had long stifled women’s freedom of movement and ability to travel abroad. 

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