A young Saudi women’s rights activist has been secretly sentenced to 11 years in prison by an anti-terrorism court after she was arrested for “choosing clothing and supporting women’s rights”.
In a statement to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Saudi officials confirmed that Manaher al-Otaibi was sentenced on January 9 for what the Saudi government described as “terrorist crimes.”
Al-Otaibi was found guilty at a secret hearing at an anti-terrorism court on charges related to Saudi Arabia’s anti-terrorism law, which criminalizes the use of websites to “broadcast or publish news, statements, false or malicious rumours”. criminal behavior”.
Al-Otaibi, a certified fitness instructor and artist who often promoted female empowerment on her social media accounts, was arrested in November 2022.
Among other charges, Saudi authorities accused al-Otaibi of using the hashtag, which translates as #societyisready, to call for an end to male guardianship rules. Her sister Fouz al-Otaibi was also accused of not wearing appropriate clothing but fled Saudi Arabia before being arrested.
Another sister, Maryam, is a well-known women’s rights advocate who was detained, jailed and eventually released in 2017 for protesting custody rules.
Amnesty International and human rights group ALQST called on the Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release al-Otaibi, saying her imprisonment “directly contradicts the authorities’ narrative of reform and women’s empowerment.”
Bisan Fakih, Amnesty International’s Saudi campaigner, said: “This statement by the Saudi authorities exposes the hollowness of the women’s rights reforms that have been much trumpeted in recent years and demonstrates the alarming extent of their suppression of peaceful dissent. A chilling promise.
Amnesty International and ALQST point out an irony in Otaibi’s case: the activist has been an outspoken supporter of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “radical changes”, including a so-called relaxation of the dress code for women , and said in a 2019 interview that she felt she was free to express her opinions and wear what she wanted because of the prince’s statement. She was arrested a few years later.
Otaibi’s social media accounts on X and Snapchat portray her as a young, progressive woman who loves fitness, art, yoga and travel, while also promoting women’s rights.
Human rights groups say Otaibi has been subjected to severe abuse, beginning with his five-month enforced disappearance from November 2023 to April 2024. Legs after physical abuse. Saudi officials denied the claim.
Her case follows a series of similar cases, in which Saudi women in particular have received harsh sentences for using social media accounts to express their views. These include Salma al-Shehab (sentenced to 27 years in prison), Fatima al-Shawarbi (sentenced to 30 years in prison), Sukaynah al-Aithan (sentenced to 40 years in prison) and Nourah al-Qahtani (sentenced to 45 years in prison). female.
