Saudi Arabia: Amnesty concerned about the “enforced disappearance” of activist Manahel al-Otaibi
Manahel al-Otaibi, a women's rights activist, detained in Saudi Arabia for a year and a half for publications on social networks, has lost all contact with the outside world, denounced Amnesty International, Wednesday February 21, 2024.
Saudi activist Manahel al-Otaibi in 2019 in Riyadh before her arrest in November 2022. © FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
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Manahel al-Otaibi is 29 years old and has been in detention since November 2022 for “
rebelling against the traditions of Saudi society
”.
She is to be tried by the Saudi anti-terrorism court, but her family has not heard from her for more than a hundred days, reports Bissan Fakih, an Amnesty International activist to RFI.
“
Her family is desperately trying to contact her, but prison officials have not told them where she is or how she is doing, nor have government officials.
»
“
At the mall without an abaya
”
Saudi women's rights activist accused
of 'posting online about women's rights, going to mall without abaya, the traditional dress, and then posting photos online .
These accusations are ridiculous.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and
the Saudi kingdom
continue to uphold this image of wonderful progress and reforms for women.
But that's not what we saw at Amnesty.
»
The NGO therefore calls for the "immediate" release of the 29-year-old blogger who disappeared in November 2023. She appeared in January 2023 before judges for having led a "
propaganda campaign aimed at encouraging young Saudi girls to denounce religious principles and to rebel against the customs and traditions of Saudi society
.”
She was then referred to the Specialized Criminal Court, a court established in 2008 to deal with terrorism-related cases.
This court “
is known for conducting unfair trials and handing down harsh sentences, including the death penalty
,” against political dissidents and human rights activists, Amnesty International said in a statement.
Beaten by a fellow inmate before her disappearance
“
Shortly before we lost contact with her, Manahel told us that she had been violently beaten by a fellow inmate
,” said her sister Fowzia, quoted in the press release.
“
I worry about my sister’s fate before such an unjust court
,” she added.
Bissan Fakih would like there to be more international pressure for the implementation of reforms in Saudi Arabia: “
I hope that there will be more pressure on the kingdom [Saudi Arabian editor's note] to put in place reforms.
But the problem is that when you see
footballers like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
and tennis players like Rafael Nadal going to the kingdom and communicating about the wonderful progress being made... They themselves are throwing Manahel al-Otaibi to the lions.
»
(And with
AFP
)
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