Samar Badawi

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Detained: July 30, 2018.

Charges: No official charges.

Sentence: Not yet sentenced.

Biography: Samar Badawi is a prominent human rights activist and mother of two, who has been repeatedly targeted and interrogated by Saudi Arabian authorities, solely for her human rights activism. She is also the sister of imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi. From 2008 – 2010, Samar challenged the male guardianship system when she tried leaving her abusive father and was charged with "disobedience." In 2010 Samar filed a "Adhl" case against her father to remove him as her guardian so that she could marry human rights lawyer, Waleed Abu al-Khair. She was arrested for her outstanding arrest warrant for "disobedience" and spent more than six months in prison.

In 2011 Samar started legal actions to ensure women's right to vote. She filed numerous lawsuits and used the Arab Charter for Human Rights to challenge the court's rulings. In 2011 and 2012 Samar joined the Women's Driving Campaign and challenged the governments legal basis for rejecting her driver's license application. She helped other women when they were arrested or faced court proceedings for defying the driving ban. These courageous acts led to her receiving the 2012 International Women of Courage Award by the US State Department.

In 2014 Samar participated in side events at the UN Human Rights Council and then went to the US and met with Senators and the Secretary of State. Because of this human rights work the Saudi government imposed a travel ban on her. Samar was the target of several arbitrary arrests, interrogations, and harassment throughout 2016 and 2017.

On July 30, 2018 security forces arrested Samar Badawi. She is being held incommunicado and without charges.

She is one of many formerly Detained Women's Rights Activists in Saudi Arabia.

Advocacy Partner: Amnesty International

Past Advocate: Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA, Ret.)

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).

• 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).

• 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).

• 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).

• 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. 

• 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).

• The cases of Eman al-Nafjan, Samar Badawi, and Raif Badawi were highlighted in the September 2021 Washington Post op-ed "Opinion | Jamal Khashoggi was murdered three years ago. These Saudis are still being silenced" (September 30, 2021, Washington Post).