Eman al-Nafjan

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Detained: May 15, 2018.

Charges: Suspicious contact with foreign parties. Coordinated activity to undermine the security, stability and social peace of the kingdom. Contacting international organizations, foreign media and other activists. Producing something that harms public order, religious values, public morals, the sanctity of private life, or authoring, sending, or storing it via an information network.

Sentence: Not yet sentenced.

Biography: Prominent Saudi Arabian activist Eman Al Nafjan fell victim to the Presidency of Security's crackdown when she, alongside nine other women's rights activists, was arrested on May 15, 2018. Al Nafjan had maintained an active Twitter account (@saudiwoman) and online blog (Saudiwoman's Weblog), informing her readers about daily life, culture, and human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. Known for organizing the October 26th Women to Drive Movement in 2013, she has also made her identity known to the authorities by repeatedly violating the driving ban herself. In a more recent show of activism, Al Nafjan signed a 2016 petition urging King Salman to rescind the country's male guardianship system.

Although it is known that Al Nafjan and her fellow detainees were transferred to Jiddah from the country's capital in May, their exact location is unknown. According to the Associated Press, the activists are being held incommunicado and have not been granted access to lawyers. Media outlets in support of the Saudi government have frequently referred to them as "traitors." Meanwhile, estimates from legal experts indicate that this group may receive up to 20 years in prison and possibly charges of treason. Whereas many Saudi activists have moderated their criticisms of the state, particularly due to coercion or imprisonment, Al Nafjan represented one of the last vocal dissenters in the country's community of activists.

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

Eman Al Nafjan has been granted TEMPORARY RELEASE.

Advocacy Partner: Reporters Without Borders

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).

• 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).

• 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).

• 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).

• 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. 

• 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).

• 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).