Women in Saudi Arabia have been allowed to run since the kingdom lifted the ban in June 2018, one of the historic social reforms initiated in recent years by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman. Under the crown prince, the kingdom encouraged women to work and loosened the guardianship system that gave the woman’s fathers, husbands, or brothers the last say over their travel, work, and marriage plans.
But along with the changes comes an ongoing battle against those who could not fall in line with the Crown Prince, including members of the royal family, businessmen and clergy, as well as activists, including Ms. Al-Hathloul. After attracting international attention by opposing the driving ban and speaking out against other restrictions in the kingdom, Mrs. Al-Hathloul and at least ten other activists were arrested a month before the ban expired, accused of treason in the state-run news media.
“My sister is not a terrorist, she is an activist,” her sister, Lina al-Hathloul, said in a statement on Monday.
“To be sentenced for her activism for the reforms that MBS and the Saudi kingdom so proudly advocate is the ultimate hypocrisy,” she added, referring to the crown prince with his initials.
Analysts said the timing of the arrest of Loujain al-Hathloul indicates that the government wants to make it clear that the change of the Saudi government, not of the people, is flowing.
Saudi officials have linked the charges against Ms. Al-Hathloul and her activists dismissed, saying instead that she had been arrested because she was working with foreign entities that were hostile to Saudi Arabia. The charges against her include demanding women’s rights and campaigning for the abolition of the guardianship system, applying for a job at the United Nations, and according to foreign families with foreign journalists, diplomats and human rights organizations.
“There are accusations of dealing with states that are unfriendly to the kingdom and providing classified information and other issues,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told Agence France-Presse during a visit to Bahrain. said this month.