Loujain al-Hathloul, a Nobel prize-nominated Saudi women's rights activist has been sentenced on Monday to 5 years and 8 months under a vague and broadly-worded law aimed at fighting terrorism, Saudi news outlet Sabq reported on Monday. She 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 according to anti-terror laws. Court has given her 30 days to appeal for the verdict.
Ms. Al -Hathoul is one of the Saudi women activists who raised their voice for the women's right to drive in Saudi before it was granted in 2018. She has also championed the cause of removing the male guardianship that restricted women's movement and ability to travel abroad for a very long time.
Loujain al-Hathloul’s case and her imprisonment since 2018 have received a lot of criticism from rights groups, members of the US Congress, and European Union lawmakers. Her family members have also alleged torture and have gone as far as saying that some of the torture sessions have been in the presence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s close aide Saud al-Qahtani.
Following the allegations, Saudi authorities offered to release her provided she denies on a video that she had been tortured and sexually harassed in prison. She denied the offer and continued languishing in jail. In October, Al-Hathlou began a hunger strike to demand regular contact with her family but ended the strike two weeks later.
A rights group named “Prisoners of Conscience” that monitors the Saudi political detainees said that al-Hathloul could be released as early as the end of March 2021 based on time served. She has been imprisoned since May 2018 and 34 months of her sentencing will be suspended.
Previously she was also jailed in 2014 and was released from juvenile detention after 73 days following an international campaign.
