1 May 2024: A young women’s rights activist in Saudi Arabia, Manahel al-Otaibi, has been secretly sentenced to 11 years in prison by an anti-terrorism court, said Amnesty International and ALQST. The sentence, handed down on 9 January, comes after al-Otaibi was arrested for what Saudi officials deemed “terrorist offences,” including her choice of clothing and support for women’s rights.
Al-Otaibi, a certified fitness instructor and artist known for promoting female empowerment on social media, was arrested in November 2022. Among other charges, she was accused of using a hashtag, translated to #societyisready, advocating for an end to male guardianship rules. Her sister, Fouz al-Otaibi, faced accusations of not adhering to decent clothing standards but managed to flee the country before her arrest. Another sister, Maryam, a prominent women’s rights advocate, had been detained and eventually released in 2017 for protesting guardianship rules.
The trial, held in secret before a counter-terrorism court, found al-Otaibi guilty of charges related to Saudi Arabia’s anti-terror law, which criminalizes the use of websites for activities deemed to support terrorist acts.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International and ALQST, have called for al-Otaibi’s immediate and unconditional release, asserting that her imprisonment contradicts the Saudi government’s narrative of reform and women’s empowerment. Bissan Fakih, Amnesty International’s campaigner on Saudi Arabia, criticized the sentence, stating that it exposes the hollowness of recent women’s rights reforms and demonstrates a commitment to silencing peaceful dissent.
Ironically, al-Otaibi had previously voiced support for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s alleged relaxation of dress codes for women. In a 2019 interview, she expressed feeling free to express her views and choose her attire, thanks to the prince’s declarations. However, she was arrested a few years later.
Al-Otaibi’s social media presence portrayed her as a young and progressive woman passionate about fitness, art, yoga, and travel, while also advocating for women’s rights. Rights groups have reported severe abuse against her, including forcible disappearance for five months from November 2023 to April 2024. Upon reconnecting with her family, al-Otaibi claimed to have been held in solitary confinement and to have sustained a broken leg due to physical abuse, though Saudi officials have denied these allegations.
Al-Otaibi’s case adds to a series of similar instances where Saudi women have received harsh sentences for expressing themselves on social media. This includes individuals like Salma al-Shehab, Fatima al-Shawarbi, Sukaynah al-Aithan, and Nourah al-Qahtani, who have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms.
