Manahel al-Otaibi, a young women’s rights activist in Saudi Arabia was secretly sentenced to 11 years in prison by an anti-terrorism court after being arrested for “her choice of clothing and support for women’s rights”.
al-Otaibi, who was apprehended in November 2022 due to her online activism promoting progressive changes within the nation, was convicted of “terrorist acts” during a clandestine trial on January 9th of this year.
The anti-terrorism legislation in Saudi Arabia deems the utilization of social media to disseminate or circulate “news, declarations, deceptive or harmful rumors, or similar content with the intention of perpetrating a terrorist offense” as a criminal offense.
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The sentencing was revealed in late January in a reply to UN Special Rapporteurs about her case, even as her family are yet to have access to her court documents or the evidence presented against her.
Al-Otaibi is a certified fitness instructor and artist who frequently posted videos on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat calling for an end to Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship system, which requires women to seek men’s permission for travel, marriage, and living arrangements.
The activist was also charged for publishing videos of herself wearing “indecent clothes”, and “going to the shops without wearing an abaya”. Her sister Fawzia al-Otaibi faces similar charges, but fled Saudi Arabia fearing arrest after being summoned for questioning in 2022.
Three months after her arrest, Manahel al-Otaibi’s case was referred to the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC).
Amnesty International Demands al-Otaibi’s Release
Amnesty International and ALQST, a human rights organization, have urged Saudi authorities to promptly and unconditionally free al-Otaibi. They stated that her detention goes against the government’s claims of promoting reform and women’s empowerment.
With this sentence the Saudi authorities have exposed the hollowness of their much-touted women’s rights reforms in recent years and demonstrated their chilling commitment to silencing peaceful dissent,” said Bissan Fakih, Amnesty International’s campaigner on Saudi Arabia.
Amnesty and ALQST pointed to an irony in Al-Otaibi’s case: the activist had been a vocal supporter of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “radical changes”, including the alleged relaxation of dress code for women, and said in a 2019 interview that she felt free to express her views and wear what she likes thanks to the prince’s declarations. She was arrested a few years later.
ALQST’s head of advocacy Lina al-Hathloul also said;” Instead, by arresting her and now imposing this outrageous sentence on her, the Saudi authorities have once again laid bare the arbitrary and contradictory nature of their so-called reforms, and their continuing determination to control Saudi Arabia’s women,” she said.
A scroll through Otaibi’s social media accounts on X and Snapchat portrayed her as a young and progressive woman who loves fitness, art, yoga, and travel, while also promoting women’s rights.
Rights groups say al-Otaibi has been subjected to severe abuse, beginning with her forcible disappearance for five months from November 2023 to April 2024. Once she was back in contact with her family, she said she was held in solitary confinement and had broken a leg after being subjected to physical abuse. Saudi officials denied the claims.
Manahel al-Otaibi, others’ activism in Saudi Arabia
The arrest of numerous activists who criticized Saudi regulations on social media has been followed by her case. Among those detained is Salma al-Shehab, a former PhD student at Leeds University, who is now imprisoned for 27 years.
Another is US citizen Saad Ibrahim Almadi, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison over tweets he posted while abroad. Saudi Arabia freed him in March 2022 though he faced a travel ban preventing him from returning home to Florida.
Others include Fatima al-Shawarbi, sentenced to 30 years, Sukaynah al-Aithan, sentenced to 40 years, and Nourah al-Qahtani, sentenced to 45 years.
