At least seven people have been detained including a dual US-Saudi citizen and a pregnant woman. Those arrested weren’t really activists but writers and bloggers who discussed reform.
The case has triggered international attention and drawn criticism with 36 states demanding their release at the UN Rights Council.
Although Saudi authorities have not made any comments on the recent arrests, according to the ALQST, the people that were arrested include at least six men and one woman. Some other reports speak of eight arrests.
Khadijah al-Harbi, a pregnant feminist writer and US-Saudi citizen was among those arrested. And another US-Saudi national arrested is a writer and doctor, Badr al-Ibrahim.
Here is what ALQST reported on their Twitter handle,
“All those named above are writers and social media bloggers previously engaged in public discourse on reforms. We believe their arrests have been orchestrated since February and are linked to their support for the women activists’ families #StandWithSaudiHeroes.”
– ALQST (@ALQST_ORG)
April 5, 2019
Since Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in Istanbul late last year, scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record has greatly intensified. And the arrests of writers are seen as attempts to shut down criticism of the crown prince who enacted some reforms.
The women’s right is also a point of focus and concern, as Saudi Arabia ranked 141 out of 149 countries for gender equality in 2018. Women cannot still travel, open bank accounts or get married without a male guardian’s permission.