Nouf Abdelaziz al-Jerawi

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Detained: June 6, 2018.

Charges: 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: The Saudi Arabian authorities raided the home of journalist and activist Nouf Abdelaziz Al Jerawi and arrested her on June 6, 2018, in continuation of its crackdown on female activists in the country. Al Jerawi was well regarded for her support of constitutional reform in Saudi Arabia, the Arab Springs, and human rights protections, which she wrote about in her online blog. She was well-known for being a women's rights and "right-to-drive" activist. Prior to her arrest, Al Jerawi had received warnings in 2016 from the Interior Ministry, which claimed to be monitoring her actions, and was harassed and intimidated online. In one of her last demonstrations of resistance to the Saudi state, the journalist expressed support for the activists who had been arrested for speaking out against the male guardianship system and driving ban on women.

According to the human rights organization ALQST, Al Jerawi was taken to an unknown location after being arrested. She is now being held in al-Ha-ir Prison in Riyadh. Multiple human rights organizations, including the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), have called on the Saudi government to release Al Jerawi and her fellow prisoners.

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

Advocacy Partner: Reporters Without Borders

Nouf Abdelaziz al-Jerawi has been granted CONDITIONAL RELEASE.

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).

• 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)

• 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).

• Eman Al Nafjan, Nouf Abdelaziz Al Jerawi, and Loujain Al-Hathloul have been granted the 2019 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award (March 14, 2019, PEN).

• 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)).

• 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).

• 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. 

• 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).