Saudi women's rights activist Hathloul freed from jail, relatives say

[webfact]

Saudi women's rights activist Hathloul freed from jail, relatives say

By Ghaida Ghantous

 

FILE PHOTO: Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul is seen in this undated handout picture. Marieke Wijntjes/Handout via REUTERS

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - Prominent women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul was released from a Saudi prison after nearly three years behind bars, her family said on Wednesday, a case that has drawn international condemnation.

 

Hathloul, 31, was detained in May 2018 and sentenced in December to nearly six years in prison on charges that U.N. rights experts called "spurious" under broad counter-terrorism laws. The court suspended two years and 10 months of her sentence, most of which had already been served.

 

She still faces a five-year travel ban ordered by the court.

 

"Loujain is at home !!!!!!" her sister Lina tweeted.

 

Another sister, Alia, said Hathloul was at their parents' home in Saudi Arabia. She posted a picture of Hathloul smiling in a garden, looking much thinner and with grey streaks in her hair.

 

Rights groups and her family say Hathloul, who had campaigned for women's right to drive and to end Saudi's male guardianship system, was subjected to abuse, including electric shocks, waterboarding, flogging and sexual assault.

 

Saudi authorities denied the accusations. A Saudi appeals court dismissed the torture claims, citing a lack of evidence, her family said on Tuesday.

 

Amnesty International on Wednesday urged Riyadh to bring to justice "those responsible for her torture" and ensure Hathloul faces no further punitive measures like a travel ban.

 

Saudi officials have not commented on her conviction or sentencing. There was no immediate comment on her release.

 

The White House has said President Joe Biden, who is taking a firmer line with Saudi Arabia than predecessor Donald Trump, expects Riyadh to improve its human rights record, including releasing political prisoners.

 

"Releasing her was the right thing to do," Biden said of Hathloul.

 

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed her release, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

 

"But I think it is important that others who are in the same condition as her, who have been jailed for the same reasons as her, also be released and that charges be dropped against them," he told reporters.

 

Hathloul, detained along with several other women's rights activists, was convicted on charges including seeking to change the Saudi political system and harming national unity.

 

Saudi Arabia's rights record came under global scrutiny after the 2018 murder of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents, which tarnished Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's image. The prince denied ordering the killing.

 

Agnes Callamard, the independent U.N. rights investigator who led an international probe into Khashoggi's murder, welcomed Hathloul's release but said in a Twitter post that "the cruelty" of Saudi rulers that "violated her most basic right to physical and mental integrity" should not be forgotten.

 

Diplomats have said the kingdom has appeared to be acting to address potential friction with the Biden administration.

 

Saudi authorities released two activists with U.S. citizenship on bail this month pending trials on terrorism-related charges. Last month, a Saudi appeals court nearly halved a six-year jail sentence for a U.S.-Saudi physician and suspended the rest, meaning he did not have to return to jail.

 

Hathloul's family published her indictment after her case was transferred to a Specialised Criminal Court, established to try terrorism suspects but used in the past decade to prosecute perceived dissidents. Authorities made few charges public.

 

The main ones against Hathloul included calling for an end to male guardianship and communicating with global rights groups, Saudi activists in the kingdom and abroad, and foreign diplomats and international media.

 

(Additional reporting by Raya Jalabi in Dubai, Michelle Nichols in New York and Susan Heavey and Steve Holland in Washington; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Bernadette Baum and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-11

 

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[Tug]

Well there’s a bit of good news I’m delighted 

[sweatalot]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

"the cruelty" of Saudi rulers that "violated her most basic right to physical and mental integrity" should not be forgotten.

 

Not enough, she deserves satisfaction - see her cruel prince and his judges and tortures  fall deep and painful

[Srikcir]

With Biden as POTUS, S.A. is trying to project a more liberal image (?) that wasn't required during Trump's regime.

Hoping to distract from potential blowback from POTUS Biden on Khashoggi's murder?

US authorities had dur8ng Trump's regime linked a former aide to the Crown Prince to the murder and the CIA concluded he ordered the assassination.

POTUS Biden will declassified an intelligence report suppressed by Trump on the murder. Certain to cause political blowback from Biden.

[Pique Dard]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

women's right to drive and to end Saudi's male guardianship system, was subjected to abuse, including electric shocks, waterboarding, flogging and sexual assault

who cares? saudi arabia is a leading oil-producing country which means automaticaly saudi authorities respect human rights 

[Morch]

5 hours ago, Srikcir said:

With Biden as POTUS, S.A. is trying to project a more liberal image (?) that wasn't required during Trump's regime.

Hoping to distract from potential blowback from POTUS Biden on Khashoggi's murder?

US authorities had dur8ng Trump's regime linked a former aide to the Crown Prince to the murder and the CIA concluded he ordered the assassination.

POTUS Biden will declassified an intelligence report suppressed by Trump on the murder. Certain to cause political blowback from Biden.

 

The same official mentioned  is/was named in connection with this case as well.

 

On some domestic fronts, seems like things are advancing down there, on others not so much.  I think that there is an internal struggle between the clergy/conservatives, and elements more open to progress. Kinda hard to figure what was the point of this one, seeing as some of the things she pushed were pretty much what the power that be were into anyway.

 

One explanation would be that she (and others) fell casualty to the above mentioned struggle. But that does not explain that official's involvement. I think this is either about their activism including criticism of MbS, or an attempt to keep the pace of change and reform slow, as not to lose control of things.

 

Either way, it's good she's out, but if I understand correctly, she's not allowed to leave the country, so not safe yet.

[onebir]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Rights groups and her family say Hathloul, who had campaigned for women's right to drive and to end Saudi's male guardianship system,

They made improvements on both these issues several years ago, so there's less for her to campaign about/reason to keep her in jail. It's a shame she was in jail so long (not to mention tortured).

 

But then Trump wasn't going to make much noise about it, and they now get to ingratiate themselves with Biden et al.

[spidermike007]

Saudi Arabia was the first nation Trump visited as president. I think, and I hope they are not going to get the "free ride" they got, with the guy who lost. They are truly despotic, and should not be trusted.

 

There is a good documentary called the Kingdom of Silence, I recommend watching.

 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9561478/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0