ANSD : Saudi Arabia temporarily frees three women activists: SPA

FRI 22 - 11 - 2024

Date: Mar 30, 2019
Source: The Daily Star

Saudi Arabia temporarily frees three women activists: SPA

_Reuters
RIYADH: Three of the Saudi women activists held in detention since May last year were granted temporary release Thursday, state news agency SPA said, and sources familiar with the matter said the rest were set to be freed Sunday. Some of the women, facing charges related to human rights work and contacts with foreign journalists and diplomats, told a Riyadh court Wednesday they had been subjected to torture during more than nine months of detention, sources familiar with the matter said.

“The court indicated that the temporary release was decided after it studied their requests submitted during the trial sessions,” the SPA report said.

It said the court would continue to look into their cases and that the release was conditional on their attendance at their trials until a final decision has been reached.

Informed sources said the three women released were blogger Eman al-Nafjan, Ruqayya al-Mohareb and academic Aziza al-Yousef, who is in her 60s.

More than eleven activists were arrested last May and those on trial include rights campaigner Loujain al-Hathloul and university professor Hatoon al-Fassi.

Western diplomats and media, including Reuters, were denied entry to Wednesday’s court session and escorted from the building, despite petitioning to let them attend.

Nine prominent U.S. senators wrote a public letter last week asking King Salman to immediately release prisoners, citing many of the women currently on trial.

Three dozen countries, including all 28 EU members, Canada and Australia, have called on Riyadh to free the activists. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and his U.S. counterpart both raised the issue during recent visits to the kingdom.

It remains to be seen if Riyadh will bend to international pressure and give the women acquittals or pardons - or pursue harsh sentences.

Readers Comments (0)

Add your comment

Enter the security code below*


Can't read this? Try Another.