Saudi Arabia has sentenced Manahel al-Otaibi, a 29-year-old fitness instructor and women’s rights activist, to 11 years in prison due to her choice of clothing and her support for women’s rights. She expressed her views online, including calling for an end to Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship system.
In January, Manahel Al-Otaibi received her sentence, and the specifics of her case came to light through Saudi Arabia’s official response to a request from the United Nations human rights office. Amnesty International, based in London, highlighted this development in a statement on Tuesday.
Amnesty International and the London-based organization Al-Qst, which advocates for human rights in Saudi Arabia, reported that Manahel Al-Otaibi faced charges related to her social media activity.
She used the hashtag “Abolish male guardianship” and shared videos of herself wearing attire considered “indecent” by authorities.
Additionally, she was seen shopping without an abaya, the traditional long robe. Despite these allegations, Saudi Arabia’s international media office did not address Reuters’ inquiries regarding the information provided by Amnesty.
In its official response to the UN rights office, Saudi Arabia refuted the claim that Manahel Al-Otaibi was sentenced due to her social media activity. Instead, they asserted that she was convicted of terrorist offenses, which they argued were unrelated to her freedom of opinion and expression or her posts on social media.
According to Reuters, the Saudi response did not offer additional specifics. The counter-terrorism law in Saudi Arabia, which led to Manahel Al-Otaibi’s conviction, has faced criticism from the United Nations for being excessively broad and potentially suppressing dissent.
The UN human rights office has yet to provide a response to a Reuters inquiry or confirm the specifics of this case. According to Amnesty, Al-Otaibi’s sister, Fawzia, encountered similar charges but escaped Saudi Arabia after being called in for questioning in 2022.
“With this sentence the Saudi authorities have exposed the hollowness of their much-touted women’s rights reforms in recent years and demonstrated their chilling commitment to silencing peaceful dissent,” Bissan Fakih, Amnesty’s campaigner on Saudi Arabia, said in the statement.
Upon ascending to power in 2017, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia pledged extensive social and economic reforms, including the relaxation of certain restrictions within male guardianship laws.
While Saudi women now have the right to drive, obtain passports, travel independently, and handle birth and death registrations, the legal process for women seeking divorce remains more challenging compared to men.
Despite some reforms, Saudi Arabia continues to be scrutinized for its human rights practices. In 2022, a personal status law was enacted, formalizing aspects of male guardianship, such as custody rights over children and a woman’s need for permission to marry.
Amnesty has raised concerns that certain provisions within this law may contribute to domestic abuse.
Although Saudi Arabia relaxed dress codes for foreign women in 2019, activists argue that Saudi women still encounter limitations.
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