Manahel al-Otaibi, who promoted female empowerment on social media, was arrested under anti-terror laws
Saudi officials confirmed in a statement to the United Nations high commissioner for human rights that Manahel al-Otaibi was sentenced on 9 January for what the Saudi government called “terrorist offences”.
Al-Otaibi, who was sentenced in a secret hearing before the counter-terrorism court, was found guilty of charges related to a Saudi anti-terror law that criminalises the use of websites to “broadcasts or publishes news, statements, false or malicious rumors, or the like for committing a terrorist crime”.
Among other charges, Otaibi was accused by Saudi authorities of using a hashtag – translated to #societyisready – to call for an end to male guardianship rules. Her sister, Fouz al-Otaibi was also accused of not wearing decent clothing but was able to flee Saudi Arabia before her arrest.
Another sister, Maryam, is a known women’s rights advocate who was detained, held, and eventually released in 2017 for protesting guardianship rules.
Rights groups say al-Otaibi has been subjected to severe abuse, beginning with her forcible disappearance for five months from November 2023 to April 2024. Once she was back in contact with her family, she said she was held in solitary confinement and had broken a leg after being subjected to physical abuse. Saudi officials denied the claims.
Her case follows a slew of similar cases in which Saudi women, in particular, have been subjected to draconian sentences for using social media accounts to express themselves. They include women such as Salma al-Shehab, sentenced to 27 years, Fatima al-Shawarbi, sentenced to 30 years, Sukaynah al-Aithan, sentenced to 40 years, and Nourah al-Qahtani, sentenced to 45 years.
Yeah, but unless you’re from a specific subculture very prominent on Lemmy, you’d expect better from us. In Africa, we support countries that make moves towards democracy and human rights. In the Middle East, that seems to go out the window instantly.
China barely tries to hide that they always do what’s good for Han Chinese, and don’t really give a shit about anyone else, so that’s not surprising.
On the bright side, Saudi Arabia’s finances are not as fine as they’d want everyone else to believe (see what’s happening to their “Line” city project), so the day to stop humoring all their whims might be coming.
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Yeah, but it’s not only the west. It seems there is no such thing as politics if and when enough money is involved.
Money changing hands is politics. Just not the kind where you or I get to have a say in it.
Yeah, but unless you’re from a specific subculture very prominent on Lemmy, you’d expect better from us. In Africa, we support countries that make moves towards democracy and human rights. In the Middle East, that seems to go out the window instantly.
China barely tries to hide that they always do what’s good for Han Chinese, and don’t really give a shit about anyone else, so that’s not surprising.
On the bright side, Saudi Arabia’s finances are not as fine as they’d want everyone else to believe (see what’s happening to their “Line” city project), so the day to stop humoring all their whims might be coming.