Over two months later, the activists
responsible for the newfound freedoms
enjoyed by Saudi women remain behind
bars.
They spent that celebratory night
imprisoned, facing up to 20 years inside for
their dissidence. Crown Prince Salman has
been on a charm offensive since becoming
ruler, promising reform and an ambitious
modernisation of the deeply conservative
nation. The PR has worked, Salman was
celebrated as a successful reformer after
lifting the driving ban. However, he retains
the penchant for human rights abuses and
oppression his predecessors shared.
Just a month before lifting the ban
Salman set about quashing the rapidly
developing women's rights movement
in Saudi Arabia. Human Rights Watch
(HRW) say a minimum of 13 activists have
been detained and face lengthy prison
sentences. Nine of these women have been
detained without any charges actually held
against them. These nine are Loujain al-
Hathloul, Aziza al-Yousef, Eman al-Nafjan,
Nouf Abdelaziz, Mayaa al-Zahrani, Hatoon
al-Fassi, Samar Badawi, Nassema al-Sadah,
and Amal al-Harbi.
Depressingly the royal family and car
companies will make millions from the
activists' victory. Car sales will grow as the
market is flooded with new customers, and
companies will be eager to curry favour
with the royal family in order to get priority
access to a new, emboldened female
market.
HRW is imploring all major car companies
to demand the release of the activists as
part of a campaign to Stand with Saudi
Feminists. The campaign asks the public
to demand car companies act, after said
companies unanimously failed to call out
the persecution of the feminist activists.
14
ISSUE 111 / 2018
GUESTLIST
Late in June of this year, Mohammed Bin Salman, the
Saudi crown prince, basked in international praise. He
had lifted the ban on women driving vehicles. Samar
Almogren, a popular talk-show host, explained the
euphoria: "I feel free like a bird."
FREE THE RIGHT-TO-DRIVE
ACTIVISTS IN SAUDI ARABIA
FEATURE
