Against the backdrop of the emergence of Saudi women activists for trial yesterday, the Washington Post commented in its editorial that they deserve freedom. At least 10 women activists were arrested at the beginning of May as the regime was preparing to lift the ban on women driving cars, which had long campaigns against it.

Most or all of the activists were initially held incommunicado in a secret prison where they were severely tortured, including beatings, electric shocks and sexual assault, according to their families and human rights groups. One of them was so shocked she tried to commit suicide and one could hardly stand when her family finally met.

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If Muhammad bin Salman had already intended to modernize the kingdom for women as allies, then his continued persecution of them would prove otherwise
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Even after being transferred to traditional prisons, women were denied legal representation and were not informed of the charges against them, while the state media were stigmatized by the infidels.

The newspaper pointed out that the activists were formally accused yesterday in a regular criminal court and not in the special court on terrorism, which was initially referred to, and accused some of them of cyber crimes instead of the most serious charges undermine the security of the state received earlier.

She also said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose security services were behind the arrests and torture, may have responded to international pressure after all 28 EU governments joined a statement last week by the UN Human Rights Council, blaming Saudi Arabia for arbitrary arrests and demanding the release of women. Jinn al-Hathall is said to have been one of the most prominent activists urging the amnesty request, which may mean that the regime is considering releasing her.

Women are still unjustly imprisoned and tortured, they went unpunished. That is why Western governments should keep up the pressure on the Saudi regime, which continues to use criminal behavior, including the deliberate bombing of civilians in Yemen and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

She concluded that the Saudi authorities rejected the women's allegations of torture without serious investigation and brought them to trial on trumped-up charges. Although Mohammed bin Salman had already intended to modernize the kingdom to be close to women as allies, then his continued persecution of them proved otherwise.