Saudi Women's Rights Activist Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison

Manahel al-Otaibi's sister Fawzia faced similar charges but she managed to escape Saudi Arabia after being summoned for questioning in 2022. When the UN inquired about the incident in January, the country's mission to Geneva said she was arrested in accordance with the law under a valid warrant and is accused of terrorist offences.

Riyadh:Saudi activist Manahel al-Otaibi, 29, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for advocating women's rights and her manner of dress, CNN reported, citing, human rights organisations.

The sentence, handed down in a "secret hearing" by Saudi Arabia's Specialised Criminal Court on January 9, 2024, was only revealed weeks later, following a United Nations inquiry, according to Amnesty International and the London-based Saudi rights group ALQST.

According to a joint statement by the watchdogs, al-Otaibi's charges are allegedly linked to her clothing choices and online activism, including advocating for the end of Saudi Arabia's male guardianship system, sharing videos of herself in what authorities deemed "indecent clothing," and going out without wearing an abaya, according to CNN.

While al-Otaibi's sister, Fawzia al-Otaibi, faced similar charges, she managed to escape Saudi Arabia after being summoned for questioning in 2022. Saudi Arabia's mission to Geneva responded to the UN inquiry in January, stating that al-Otaibi was arrested in accordance with the law under a valid warrant and is accused of terrorist offences.

The mission asserted that no individual is detained in the country for exercising their rights and freedoms and that state institutions are obligated to ensure fair treatment regardless of religion, race, sex, or nationality.

Amnesty International's Campaigner on Saudi Arabia, Bissan Fakih, condemned al-Otaibi's conviction and sentence, calling it an "appalling and cruel injustice" that exposes the insincerity of the Saudi government's touted women's rights reforms.

While Saudi authorities have made some strides in dismantling the male guardianship system, Amnesty and ALQST highlight that many discriminatory practices persist. They point to the 2022 Personal Status Law, which, rather than abolishing restrictive elements, reportedly codifies them, particularly in matters of marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance.

Ironically, al-Otaibi believed in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's promises of reform, yet she found herself arrested in November 2022 for exercising the very freedoms she thought were being promoted.

Al-Otaibi's sentencing occurs within a broader context of increased suppression of free speech in Saudi Arabia, particularly online. Over the past two years, Saudi courts have handed down lengthy prison terms to numerous individuals, including many women, for their social media expression.

Amnesty International and ALQST are urging Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release al-Otaibi, emphasising that her imprisonment contradicts the narrative of reform and women's empowerment promoted by the government, CNN reported.

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