Saudi Arabia puts woman activist on trial in closed ‘terrorism court’
Jailed Saudi woman activist Loujain al-Hathloul has been put on trial at a special closed-door “terrorism court,” more than two years after she was detained on what UN experts describe as "spurious" charges.
Al-Hathloul, who has been held since 2018, is accused of undermining “the kingdom’s security, stability and national unity,” according to the state news agency.
Riyadh began her trial on Wednesday on charges that United Nations human rights experts called “spurious,” said her family.
Amnesty International denounced the move, saying, “Guess what Saudi Arabia does on International Human Rights Day?”
“It sends brave and peaceful activists like Loujain al-Hathloul to their first trial at the ‘terrorism court’, simply for wanting basic human rights,” the rights organization said on Twitter.
It also described the specialized criminal court (SCC) where her case is being held as an “instrument of repression."
Amnesty International said the Saudi judges have presided over unfair trials and handed down harsh rulings including multiple death sentences “in an effort to silence dissent.”
The court hearing was not open to the public and it was not clear how long the trial would last or whether other female activists detained at the same time as Hathloul were also finally facing trial.
She was detained along with at least a dozen other women’s rights activists, in May 2018, shortly before Riyadh dropped its longstanding ban on women driving.
"Loujain's spirits are high, but her body is still weak," said her sister, Alia al-Hathloul, after a hearing in the court.
Elizabeth Broderick, chair of the UN working group on discrimination against women and girls, also said they are “extremely alarmed to hear that Hathloul …is now being tried by a specialized terrorism court.”
"We call once again on Saudi Arabia to immediately release Hathloul,” she said.
Hathloul was tried at a brief hearing in an ordinary court last month in Riyadh, but was later referred to the terrorism court.
The court, according to campaigners, is notorious for issuing long jail terms and is used to silence critical voices under the cover of fighting terrorism.
Saudi judges sentenced doctor, Walid Fitaihi, on Tuesday, to six years in jail, on charges that included obtaining US citizenship without permission from the kingdom.
His conviction came despite pressure from the Donald Trump administration to drop the charges against him.
The Saudi kingdom faces growing pressure from the international community over its human rights record.
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