Detained Women's Rights Defenders

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Dr. Hatoon al-Fassi
Advocate: Rep. Salud
Carbajal (D-CA)

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Eman al-Nafjan
 

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Nouf Abdelaziz al-Jerawi
 

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Aziza al-Yousef
Advocate: Rep. Joe
Wilson (R-SC)

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Samar Badawi
 

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Loujain al-Hathloul
Advocate: Rep. Suzanne
Bonamici (D-OR)

Updates:

• UN human rights experts are urging Saudi Arabia to immediately and unconditionally release all women human rights defenders. These women include Dr. al-Fassi and Samar Badawi (October 12, 2018, OHCHR).
• Dr. Hatoon al-Fassi was granted the Middle East Studies Association's 2018 Academic Freedom Award (November 16, 2018, Middle East Studies Association).
• Several Saudi Arabian activists, including a number of women, who have been arbitrarily detained without charge in Dhahban Prison, have reportedly faced sexual harassment, torture and other forms of ill-treatment during interrogation. Samar Badawi is among the group detained in Dhahba (November 20, 2018, Amnesty International).
• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to release women's rights activist Samar Badawi when the two leaders spoke at the G20 Summit (December 1, 2018, CBC).
• Fellow Saudi women's rights activist Omaima Al Najjar profiled Eman Al Nafjan for Al Jazeera (December 10, 2018, Al Jazeera).
• The UN Committee against Torture urged Saudi authorities to free more than a dozen detained rights activists, alleging some had been tortured or mistreated during interrogation. Eman Al Nafjan and Samar Badawi were among the activists named (December 12, 2018, Al Jazeera).
• The U.S. Senate passed S.J.Res.69, which calls on the government of Saudi Arabia to release Samar Badawi and other detained women's rights activists. (December 13, 2018, Congress.gov)
• Saudi Arabia's human rights commission is investigating the alleged torture of women's rights activists including Samar Badawi and Eman al-Nafjan. However, the investigation is unlikely to lead to criminal charges (December 18, 2018, Al Jazeera).
• A cross-party group of British parliamentarians and international lawyers has asked to visit detained female activists in Saudi Arabia to investigate allegations that they are being tortured and denied legal representation and family visits. Dr. Hatoon al-Fassi, Samar Badawi, Eman Al Nafjan, and Nouf Abdelaziz Al Jerawi are among the women in question (January 1, 2019, Al Jazeera).
• More than 200 scholars signed a letter to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman calling for the release of Dr. Hatoon al-Fassi and other detained women's rights activists (January 18, 2019, Middle East Studies Association).
• Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called on Saudi Arabia to allow independent monitors to meet detainees, including women's rights activists who were allegedly tortured (January 25, 2019, Al Jazeera).
• The Washington Post Editorial Board wrote an Op-Ed encouraging Congress to stand up for imprisoned Saudi women's rights activists. Dr. Hatoon al-Fassi and Samar Badawi's cases were cited (January 26, 2019, Washington Post).
• The Washington Post Editorial Board wrote an Op-Ed decrying the torture of imprisoned Saudi women's rights activists including Dr. Hatoon al-Fassi, Samar Badawi, Eman Al Nafjan, and Nouf Abdelaziz Al Jerawi, and advocating for accountability for the perpetrators (February 10, 2019, Washington Post).
• A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced a resolution Wednesday calling on Saudi Arabia to "immediately and unconditionally" release detained women's rights activists including Dr. Hatoon al-Fassi and Aziza al-Yousef (February 13, 2019, Washington Post).
• Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Representative Gerald Connolly (D-VA) sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging him to call for the immediate release of Aziza al-Yousef. They also requested Secretary Pompeo seek an update on Ms. al-Youssef's condition and whether she has access to appropriate legal consul [March 1, 2019, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA)].
• Thirty-six states at the UN Human Rights Council have criticized Saudi Arabia for detaining women's rights activists, and demanded their release (March 7, 2019, BBC).
• Aziza al-Yousef and Eman Al Nafjan, alongside fellow women's rights defender Loujain Al-Hathloul, will face their first hearings on March 13, 2019 before the Specialized Criminal Court (March 12, 2019, Gulf Centre for Human Rights).
• Ten Saudi Arabian women stood trial on Wednesday, March 13 for the first time since they were detained last year. The group included Aziza al-Yousef, Eman al-Nafjan and Dr. Hatoon Al-Fassi (March 13, 2019, Al Jazeera).
• Eman Al Nafjan, Nouf Abdelaziz Al Jerawi, and fellow detained Saudi women's rights defender Loujain Al-Hathloul have been granted the 2019 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award (March 14, 2019, PEN).
• The One Free Press Coalition, which is comprised of a dozen leading news organizations including TIME, Reuters, the Associated Press, Forbes, and HuffPost included Eman Al Nafjan on its first-ever 10 Most Urgent list, which identifies 10 journalists around the world who represent the most severe examples of abuses to press freedom or cases of injustice (March 15, 2019, TIME).
• According to American intelligence reports and others briefed on her situation, Eman Al Nafjan tried to kill herself last year after being subjected to psychological torture (March 17, 2019, New York Times).
• Nine Senators wrote a letter to Saudi King Salman, calling on him to release detained women's rights defenders including Dr. Hatoon Al-Fassi, Eman al-Nafjan, Nouf Abdelaziz Al Jerawi, and Aziza al-Yousef (March 17, 2019, Office of Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)).
• German journalist Suzanne Koelbl profiled Eman al-Nafjan, Aziza al-Yousef, and fellow detained women's rights defender Loujain Al-Hathloul in Der Spiegel. (March 25, 2019, Der Spiegel)
• The trial of Dr. Hatoon Al-Fassi, Eman al-Nafjan, Nouf Abdelaziz Al Jerawi, and Aziza al-Yousef resumed on Wednesday, March 27. Once again, diplomats and media were not permitted to attend (March 27, 2019, Reuters).
• Eman al-Nafjan, Aziza al-Yousef, and fellow detained women's rights defender Ruqayya al-Mohareb were granted temporary release. However, their charges have not been dropped and their release is conditional on their attendance at their trials until a final decision is reached (March 28, 2019, Reuters).
• According to leaked medical reports that are understood to have been prepared for King Salman, political prisoners in Saudi Arabia are said to be suffering from malnutrition, cuts, bruises and burns. The prisoners examined included Dr. Hatoon Al-Fassi and Samar Badawi (March 31, 2019, The Guardian).
• Aziza al-Yousef and Eman al-Najfan were told in their court appearance on April 3 their next court date would take place after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which coincides with early June. Dr. Hatoon Al-Fassi and Nouf Abdelaziz Al Jerawi were also present in court (April 3, 2019, Washington Post).
• Salah al-Haidar, a dual U.S.-Saudi citizen and the son of Aziza al-Yousef was detained in recent days alongside at least six other writers and activists. (April 5, 2019, Washington Post)
• The April 17th hearing in the trial of 11 Saudi women's rights activists including Dr. Hatoon Al-Fassi, Eman al-Nafjan, Aziza al-Youssef, and Nouf Abdelaziz Al Jerawi was postponed to an unspecified date for "private reasons" (April 17, 2019, The Guardian).
• Dr. Hatoon al-Fassi and three other detained women's rights defenders were granted temporary release on the condition that they continue to appear in court (May 2, 2019, Reuters).
• Loujain al-Hathloul, Eman al-Nafjan, and Nouf Abdelaziz Al Jerawi were awarded the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write award for 2019 at the 2019 PEN Gala (May 22, 2019, PEN America).
• The House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to approve and send to the House floor for consideration House Resolution 129 condemning Saudi imprisonment and abuse of female activists. Loujain al-Hathloul, Aziza al-Yousef, and Dr. Hatoon al-Fassi were referenced in the Resolution (May 22, 2019, Al Jazeera).
• On July 15, 2019 the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 129 Condemning the Government of Saudi Arabia's continued detention and alleged abuse of women's rights activists.
• Human rights defenders wished imprisoned Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul a "happy" 30th birthday - the second she has spent behind bars since being jailed in 2018 (July 31, 2019, The New Arab).
• The Saudi government offered to release Loujain al-Hathloul if she would deny that she had been tortured. She refused (August 14, 2019, The Washington Post).
• Eman al-Nafjan was awarded the Reporters Without Borders Prize for Courage for her years-long struggle against Saudi Arabia's male guardianship system (September 13, 2019, Middle East Eye).
• Thirteen UN human rights experts joined together to urge freedom for Loujain al-Hathloul after 500 days in prison. (September 27, 2019, OHCHR)
• A group of states criticized Saudi Arabia's human rights record during the 29th meeting of the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council (September 23, 2019, Item 8 - General Debate, Chapter 2, Australia).
• Women's rights campaigner Loujain al-Hathloul is due in court Wednesday, March 11, 2020 after being held for almost two years, and has been subjected to spells in solitary confinement since January (March 9, 2020, Amnesty International).
• Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent a letter to the Saudi Arabian Ambassador regarding the welfare of detained women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul (June 23, 2020, Press Release U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff).
• On November 25, 2020, appearing weak and shaking uncontrollably, Loujain Al-Hathloul went before a Saudi judge to learn her case has been transferred to a special court for terrorism and national security crimes (November 26, 2020, NY Times)
• Loujain al-Hatloul was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison, and with the Court suspending 2 years and 10 months of her term and backdated its start to May 2018, Loujain al-Hathloul will serve three months in prison (December 28, 2020, Amnesty International).
• Loujain al-Hathloul was released after spending 1,001 days in prison. Saudi authorities will impose 3 years of probation and a 5-year travel ban starting the day of her release (February 10, 2021, New York Times).
• On March 3, 2021, a Saudi court denied Loujain al-Hathloul's appeal confirming she will still be required to serve 3 years probation and a 5-year travel ban (March 10, 2021, CNN).