Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Crisis: The Plight of Women and Activists

Watan-The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights shed light on human rights violations by Mohammed bin Salman’s regime, specifically regarding women’s rights and the suppression of freedom of expression in a new report published on its website.

In a human rights monitoring effort, the organization confirmed the presence of at least 52 women in the kingdom’s prisons, including opinion detainees who have been subjected to severe sentences, some as long as 90 years.

The report, highlighted by the organization, mentioned activist Salma Al-Shahab, who was arrested on January 15, 2021, among at least 8 detainees, serving astronomical sentences.

The sentences range from 26 to 90 years, and they are related to freedom of opinion, expression, and publication on social media.

The report explained that in February 2023, the specialized criminal court, after a Supreme Court decision for a retrial, sentenced Salma to 54 years in prison, divided between imprisonment and a travel ban after release.

On August 9, 2022, the appellate criminal court issued a verdict sentencing human rights defender Salma Al-Shahab (born November 9, 1988) to 34 years in prison and an equal travel ban.

This ruling represents a serious violation of human rights based on charges related to her peaceful opinions on the microblogging site Twitter.

Saudi Arabia commits serious violations of the rights of detainees

The report revealed that Salma Al-Shahab, who was previously sentenced to 6 years in late 2021 by the specialized criminal court, had her sentence increased more than fivefold by the appeals court.

This judgment is considered a dangerous precedent for activists and human rights defenders, as it was issued despite the lack of exhaustion of all legal remedies, according to the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights.

Salma, whose story was highlighted by the organization, was a dental health specialist and a Ph.D. student at the University of Leeds. She also served as a lecturer at Princess Nourah University. At the family level, she is married and a mother of two children, Adam and Noah.

Saudi Arabia arrested Salma on January 15, 2021, and after nine and a half months, her trial began, during which she was interrogated, and the public prosecutor leveled several charges against her.

Among the charges against Salma Al-Shahab are:

• Undermining societal security and state stability
• Inciting discord
• Providing assistance to those seeking to undermine public order
• Disseminating false and malicious rumors on Twitter.

To justify the harsh sentence, the appeals court relied on the counter-terrorism law, even though all charges against her were related to her activity on Twitter.

Salma Al-Shahab called for the freedom of opinion detainees, such as human rights advocate Loujain Al-Hathloul, members of the Hasm Association, and actively participated in campaigns demanding the lifting of the guardianship system on women by their male relatives.

The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights asserts that the verdict against Salma Al-Shahab is unprecedented and dangerous, marking the longest prison sentence issued against activists in years.

This unjust ruling from Saudi Arabia may signal a further escalation against opinion detainees, according to the organization.

Torture and ill-treatment

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has arrested at least 116 women, many of whom remain in detention to this day.

The human rights organization documented the death of a woman in the kingdom’s prisons.

Amid the policy of impunity, the human rights organization stated in its report that no official has been held accountable for the violations suffered by women in prisons, despite multiple complaints related to torture and ill-treatment.”