Amnesty International demanded that Saudi Arabia release a 29-year-old fitness teacher who it claims was given an 11-year prison sentence due to her attire choices and posts on social media advocating for the abolition of the country’s male guardianship system.
Amnesty International, a London-based organization, said in a statement on Tuesday that Manahel Al-Otaibi was convicted in January and that information about her case surfaced in Saudi Arabia’s official response to a request from the UN human rights office.
Al-Otaibi was prosecuted for posting the social media hashtag “Abolish male guardianship” and recordings of her wearing what were considered to be “indecent clothes” and going shopping without an abaya, a long robe, according to Amnesty and the London-based Al-Qst. This Saudi organization promotes on human rights in the kingdom.
When Reuters questioned Saudi Arabia’s foreign media office over the details provided by Amnesty, the office did not reply. In a formal response to the U.N. rights office, Saudi Arabia refuted the claim that Al-Otaibi received a sentence because of remarks on social media. It stated that she had been “convicted of terrorist offences that have no bearing on her exercise of freedom of opinion and expression or her social media posts.”
Also Read:
Celebrating the 20th Hareed Fishing Festival on Farasan Island
Food Technology and Innovation is Showcased in Riyadh.
