Washington Center for Human Rights (WCHR) demands the immediate and unconditional release of Salma al-Shehab and seven other detained Saudi women who have been on a hunger strike since March 23, 2023. These women have been unjustly detained and are protesting against their detention and trial, as well as demanding their release.
Salma al-Shehab, a PhD student at Leeds University, has been sentenced to 27 years in prison over her peaceful Twitter activity in support of women’s rights. This is yet another example of the Saudi authorities’ continuous crackdown on free speech. Nourah al-Qahtani, Sukaynah al-Aithan, and others whose names ALQST has not yet been able to confirm have also been convicted and sentenced to long jail terms on similar charges.
Prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia often resort to hunger strikes to protest against ill-treatment or to demand their basic rights. However, the Saudi prison administration has often waited several days before taking any action, and when they have eventually acted, it has been to threaten the prisoners with punishment if they continue their strike, and then place them in solitary confinement in dire conditions.
WCHR strongly condemns the inhumane treatment of these women and calls on the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all prisoners who have been detained for the peaceful exercise of their fundamental freedoms. These women should never have been arrested and jailed in the first place, and the Saudi government must be held accountable for their actions.
Lina Alhathloul, ALQST’s Head of Monitoring and Advocacy, commented: “Knowing how harshly the Saudi authorities respond to hunger strikes, these women are taking an incredibly brave stand against the multiple injustices they have faced. When your only way of protesting is to risk your life by refusing to eat, one can only imagine the inhumane conditions al-Shehab and the others are having to endure in their cells. They should be released without delay.”
WCHR calls on the international community to intensify pressure on the Saudi Arabian authorities to release these women and all those currently detained in the kingdom for the peaceful exercise of their fundamental freedoms. The international community must come together to demand that the Saudi government uphold human rights and release all prisoners of conscience immediately.
Here are some steps the US government could take to address the situation:
- Publicly condemn the Saudi government’s human rights abuses, including the detention and mistreatment of women’s rights activists, and call for their immediate release.
- Use diplomatic channels to pressure the Saudi government to release these women and all prisoners of conscience.
- Consider imposing targeted sanctions against Saudi officials responsible for human rights abuses.
- Redirect or withhold US military aid to Saudi Arabia until the government improves its human rights record.
- Increase support for civil society organizations and human rights defenders working in Saudi Arabia.
- Use US foreign aid to promote human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Saudi Arabia.
- Engage with other countries and international organizations to coordinate efforts to promote human rights and hold the Saudi government accountable for its actions.
These steps, taken together, could send a strong message to the Saudi government that the US will not tolerate human rights abuses and will work to promote fundamental freedoms and human dignity around the world.
The Washington Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the unjust detention and mistreatment of Salma al-Shehab and other women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia. The hunger strike by these women is a brave stand against the multiple injustices they have faced, and we call for their immediate and unconditional release.
The US government has a crucial role to play in addressing this situation and promoting human rights in Saudi Arabia. It can use diplomatic channels, sanctions, foreign aid, and engagement with other countries to pressure the Saudi government to release these women and all prisoners of conscience, promote democracy and the rule of law, and hold the Saudi government accountable for its actions.
The international community must come together to demand that the Saudi government upholds human rights and releases all prisoners of conscience immediately. We must continue to stand with these women and all those fighting for human rights and dignity in Saudi Arabia and around the world.