Saudi woman sentenced to 34 years in prison, rights group says

Saudi Arabia has sentenced the woman to 34 years in prison, plus a 34-year travel ban, according to the human rights group that ruled, sharing her opinion on Twitter. Salma Al-Shehab's prison sentence is longer than any previously given to Saudi activists and dissidents, signaling an escalating crackdown on those men and women who challenge the Saudi government's narratives. may indicate. ESOHR) said:

"The verdict handed down against Salma al-Shehab is unprecedented and dangerous," he said in an ESOHR statement. Rights groups are based in Europe andrely on contacts within conservative Islamic kingdoms where journalists are not allowed to operate freely

``In recent years, many women activists have faced unfair trials leading to arbitrary sentences, and some have faced harsh sentences. Torture, including sexual harassment," she said, according to ESOHR.

Alshebab, an expert in dentistry and Princess Noora her bint her Abdul Rahman University Lecturer, has identified herself as a political activist or rights It's unclear if they considered him an activist. She returned to Saudi Arabia from the city of Leeds on her vacation in December 2020, while studying for her PhD in the UK, according to The Guardian newspaper.

During her visit, she was detained and questioned about numerous tweets. Loujain Al-HathloulShe also called for the release of Saudi prisoners of conscience, such as prominent women's rights activists. , called for the abolition of Saudi Arabia's guardianship system, which requires men to supervise if women want to do virtually anything outside the home.

Prior to her return to the UK, she was formally arrested and put on trial for tweeting, The Guardian said. 

According to ECOHR, she "undermined social security and national stability, spread sedition, provided assistance to those seeking to disrupt public order, provided false and malicious on Twitter accused of "spreading rumors." "

She was originally sentenced to six years in prison in 2021 by Saudi Arabia's secretive Specialized Criminal Court. Despite all the charges against her, an appeals court later extended her sentence to 34 years, appealing "the counterterrorism regime and its funding to justify a harsh sentence," ECOHR said.

"Salma's sentencing under the Counter-Terrorism and Financing System confirms that Saudi Arabia treats those who demand reform and those who criticize it on social networks as terrorists," he said. ECOHR said.

The harsh verdict came to light just weeks after US President Joe Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia. and dissidents.

"The ruling against Salma al-Shehab shows that the recent steps the Saudi government has taken in the women's rights file are not serious and are being implemented to improve its poor human rights record. We are making it clear that we are within the scope of the washing campaign," ECOHR said. "The Saudi government has not hesitated to commit grave violations against women activists."

Another rights group, the Washington, D.C.-based Freedom Initiative, also called Al Shehab her 34th year. was reported to have handed down the verdict. The group's case manager for Saudi Arabia said the Kingdom and its powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, better known as MBS, are "bragging to the world that they are improving women's rights and reforming the law."

In a statement released last week, the group's Dr. There is no doubt that it is," he said. “Unfortunately, it should come as no surprise that MbS feels more empowered than ever to crack down on such egregious rights violations. , Biden's visit to Jeddah and the embrace of the international community must feel like a green light.145}

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