Prison Sentence for a Women's Rights Activist in Saudi Arabia; Human Rights Groups Demand Release of Manahil Al-Otaibi

Human rights groups have called for the release of a female sports coach in Saudi Arabia who, they say, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for supporting women's rights and her choice of attire. Amnesty International and a London-based non-profit organization focused on Saudi affairs (ALQST) announced that Manahil Al-Otaibi, a 29-year-old sports coach and women's rights activist, was convicted in a 'secret trial' in a criminal court. The Saudi delegation in Geneva, in response to a request from the UN Special Rapporteur for information about this case, stated that Al-Otaibi was accused of 'terrorist crimes' and claimed that her conviction had nothing to do with freedom of expression or her social media posts. Human rights organizations argue that Al-Otaibi's charges were merely related to her 'choice of clothing and expressing her views online, including her call to end male guardianship over women in Saudi Arabia and her desire to shop without wearing an abaya.' Her sister, Fawzia, also faced similar charges but fled Saudi Arabia two years ago when summoned for questioning. Amnesty International and the London-based Saudi Human Rights Organization demanded the 'immediate and unconditional' release of Manahil Al-Otaibi, deeming her imprisonment a 'direct contradiction' to the claims of the country's officials regarding reforms and women's empowerment. These human rights groups emphasized that over the past two years, Saudi courts have issued long prison sentences for dozens of individuals due to their comments on social media, including many women. Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, came to power with promises of extensive social and economic reforms, reducing some restrictions on women, such as allowing them to drive, obtain passports, and travel alone, but the country's laws still make divorce more difficult for women than for men. Five years ago, Saudi Arabia eased dress code restrictions for foreign women, but human rights activists say that Saudi women still face dress code limitations. Saudi Arabia is participating in the 'Miss World' competition for the first time; representative: Roumi Al-Qahtani, 27 years old. The trouble of a Saudi girl for posting a video in a short skirt. Opinion | The West's self-deception about women's freedom in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. has urged Saudi Arabia to review the cases of political prisoners. A human rights group: Two Saudi women's rights activists were released after three years in prison in Saudi Arabia. Loujain Al-Hathloul, a prominent Saudi activist; a young woman who was released from prison in Saudi Arabia after a thousand days. The U.S. State Department's reaction to the prison sentence for a women's rights activist in Saudi Arabia.