This is the charge. Human Rights Watch details the trial of women activists in Saudi Arabia

Human Rights Watch said that the charges Saudi Arabia has made of female activists defending women's rights appear to be almost entirely linked to their activities in peaceful human rights work.

"After nearly a year of accusations that these courageous women's rights advocates are foreign agents, the actual charges against them appear to be simply a list of their efforts in support of women's rights," Amnesty said in a statement on Thursday.

The organization said, citing sources it said had seen the list of accusations, that women were being tried for communicating with international journalists accredited to the kingdom, as well as with foreign diplomats and activists in international human rights organizations.

The list of charges does not include contact with foreign spies or agents of foreign intelligence agencies.

Human Rights Watch said that if the sharing of information on women's rights with journalists and diplomats was illegal, it was assumed that most of the Saudi leadership would now be in prison.

The sources told Amnesty International that they had reviewed the charges made by the Saudi Public Prosecution and the contents of the charges against two of the detainees, all of which are linked to peaceful human rights work, including the promotion of women's rights and the call for an end to the regime of men in Saudi Arabia.

The statement added that this action is not issued by a government carrying out reforms, as alleged by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his supporters. The organization said Saudi Arabia should immediately release all human rights activists detained solely for their defense of human rights.

The trial of at least 10 activists began at the Criminal Court in Riyadh last week after they were arrested in May 2018 as part of a massive security crackdown.

Government officials accused women activists at the time of undermining national security and helping "enemies" of the state, while local media described them as "traitors".

The trial comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to appease the international community in the wake of criticism it has received since the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in October.