The family of Saudi activist Jane Hathloul said on Tuesday she had rejected an offer to release her in exchange for a video statement denying reports that she had been tortured in detention.
Saudi authorities detained al-Hathloul and at least a dozen women's rights activists more than a year ago, as Saudi Arabia ended a long-standing ban on women driving cars. Local media described the activists as traitors.
Walid al-Hathloul, brother of Jane, 30, said on his Twitter page that she had initially agreed to sign a document denying that she had been tortured and harassed. Her family has been silent recently, hoping to resolve the case in secret.
But Walid added that state security asked her in a recent interview to record the denials in a video as part of her release agreement.
International criticism
Some activists have appeared in court this year on charges of working in defense of human rights and contacting foreign journalists and diplomats, but the hearings have not been held for months.
The case has drawn international criticism and anger in European capitals and the US Congress, especially after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudis inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Human rights groups say at least three women detainees, including Hathloul, have been held incommunicado for months and abuses including electric shocks and flogging as well as sexual harassment.
Saudi officials have denied allegations that the activists were tortured and said their detention was suspected of harming Saudi interests and providing support to hostile elements abroad.
Informed sources said in March that Hathloul and other detainees mentioned the abuses they suffered during a closed court hearing.
Al-Hathloul's brothers said Saud al-Qahtani, an adviser to the Saudi crown prince who was allegedly involved in the killing of Khashoggi, was present during some torture sessions and threatened with rape and murder, while the Saudi prosecutor said his office had investigated the allegations and found them to be false.