A Saudi women's rights activist faces 11 years behind bars, according to human rights organizations.
A 29-year-old fitness instructor and activist for women's rights named Manahel al-Otaibi was sentenced secretly during a court hearing at the Specialized Criminal Court of Saudi Arabia on January 9, 2024. This news was revealed by Amnesty International and the London-based Saudi advocacy group ALQST in a joint statement released on Tuesday.
It was only later, when the Saudi government responded to a request from the United Nations Special Rapporteurs, that the decision to incarcerate al-Otaibi was made public.
The Saudi embassy in Geneva claimed in a letter sent in January that al-Otaibi was facing "terrorist offenses" and had been arrested lawfully with a valid warrant.
Despite this, Amnesty and ALQST argue that her charges are solely based on her choice of attire, the content she posted online, and speaking out against the male guardianship system. Their statement also mentioned that her sister, Fawzia al-Otaibi, faced similar accusations but managed to leave the country after being summoned for questioning in 2022.
According to the watchdogs, the Saudi government must release Manahel al-Otaibi immediately and unconditionally, as her arrest goes against their image of progressive reforms and empowerment of women.
Manahel al-Otaibi's prosecution is a "horrible and unfair injustice," according to Bissan Fakih from Amnesty International, who added that the sentences given out recently in Saudi Arabia make a mockery of the kingdom's recently-promoted women's rights reforms and show their determination to silence dissenting voices.
After her arrest, al-Otaibi experienced both physical and psychological violence while imprisoned at the Malaz Prison in Riyadh, according to Amnesty International and ALQST. Her family reported in April that she was being held in isolation and had a broken leg due to the physical abuse she endured. CNN couldn't independently confirm these allegations.
CNN contacted the Saudi government for comment on these allegations.
In a letter to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the embassy in Geneva maintained that “no person is being held in detention in Saudi Arabia for exercising their rights and freedoms,” and that the authorities “have a legal responsibility to ensure that everybody is treated fairly, regardless of their religion, race, sex, or nationality.”
While the Saudi authorities have taken steps to ease some of the restrictions imposed by the male guardianship system, the watchdogs point out that "many discriminatory elements are still in place."
They note that the Ministry of Justice's long-awaited 2022 Personal Status Law was intended to be a major reform but instead further sealed the Patriarchal system by legalizing several of its restrictive components, such as marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance.
Sadly, al-Otaibi believed in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's promise of reforms and was apprehended on November 16, 2022, for expressing those very freedoms.
Al-Otaibi's conviction came during an increased crackdown on freedom of speech in Saudi Arabia, which has led to harsh penalties for individuals expressing their views online, including many women. Over the last two years, Saudi courts have jailed dozens of people for their comments on social media. The groups further assert this.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
