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Image source, AFP
Manahel al-Otaibi said successful 2019 she felt escaped to deterioration what she liked due to the fact that of the Saudi crown prince's declarations
Two quality rights groups person condemned an 11-year situation condemnation handed to a Saudi fittingness teacher and women's rights activistic by a coercion court.
Manahel al-Otaibi, 29, was convicted of charges related to her covering choices and look of her views online, Amnesty International and ALQST said.
These included calls for an extremity to the guardianship strategy and videos of her buying without an abaya, they added.
Saudi diplomats told the UN she was recovered blameworthy of "terrorism offences".
A missive from the Sunni Muslim-ruled Gulf kingdom's ngo successful Geneva confirmed that Manahel al-Otaibi's proceedings had concluded with her condemnation successful January, but it provided nary further details astir the case.
Dozens of people, galore of them women, person been person been imprisoned successful Saudi Arabia successful the past 2 years successful transportation with societal media posts.
Amnesty International and ALQST, a London-based Saudi rights organisation, said Manahel al-Otaibi was an aboriginal protagonist of the societal and economical reforms enacted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aft helium was named heir to the throne successful 2017 by his begetter King Salman.
Two years later, she told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle that she felt escaped to deterioration what she liked and explicit her views. She besides explained that her behaviour was "based connected what the crown prince has said... that I person the close to take what I privation to wear, arsenic agelong arsenic it is respectable".
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In November 2022, she was arrested connected coercion charges amid an intensified crackdown connected online dissent.
ALQST said she was initially accused of violating the Anti-Cyber Crime Law, including "opposing the laws relating to women, specified arsenic the antheral guardianship strategy and the hijab law"; "participating successful respective hashtags opposing these laws"; "having respective photos and video clips successful indecent apparel connected [social media] accounts", and "going to the shops without wearing an abaya, photographing this, and publishing it connected Snapchat".
Under Saudi Arabia's antheral guardianship system, a woman's father, brother, hubby oregon lad has the authorization to marque captious decisions connected their behalf astir marriage, divorcement and their children.
Her sister Fawzia faced akin charges, but fled Saudi Arabia that twelvemonth aft being summoned for questioning, ALQST added.
Three months aft her arrest, Manahel al-Otaibi's lawsuit was referred to the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC). Rights groups accidental the coercion tribunal has been utilized to prosecute peaceful dissidents and that it is notorious for violations of just proceedings standards and handing retired harsh sentences.
On 9 January, she was convicted and sentenced to 11 years successful situation by the court, but the verdict was lone publically revealed successful the Saudi mission's missive to the UN Human Rights Office, which was dated 25 January.
The missive said the tribunal recovered her blameworthy of "terrorism offences" nether articles 43 and 44 of the Counter-Terrorism Law. They outline sentences for "any idiosyncratic who creates, launches, oregon uses a website oregon a programme connected a machine oregon connected an physics instrumentality to perpetrate [a coercion offence]", and "any idiosyncratic who, by immoderate means, broadcasts oregon publishes news, statements, mendacious oregon malicious rumours, oregon the similar for committing a violent crime".
The missive stressed that the tribunal "verified each the grounds against her, portion afloat respecting the planetary obligations of Saudi Arabia".
"The authorities wishes to underscore the information that the workout and defence of rights is not a transgression nether Saudi law; however, justifying the actions of terrorists by describing them arsenic exercising oregon defending rights is unacceptable and constitutes an effort to legitimize violent crimes," the missive added.
ALQST's caput of advocacy Lina al-Hathloul said Manahel al-Otaibi's "confidence that she could enactment with state could person been a affirmative advertisement for Mohammed bin Salman's much-touted communicative of starring women's rights reforms successful the country".
"Instead, by arresting her and present imposing this outrageous condemnation connected her, the Saudi authorities person erstwhile again laid bare the arbitrary and contradictory quality of their alleged reforms, and their continuing determination to power Saudi Arabia's women," she said.
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