Location: Saudi Arabia, Riyadh
Date: March 10, 2021

Earlier today, the judges confirmed the first sentence against Loujain Al-Hathloul regarding charges of “terrorist activities”. Loujain, a feminist activist, who recently released from prison on bail had said last week that she hoped the court would amend her sentence.

In a tweet today, Loujain’s sister, Lina Al-Hathloul announced the confirmation of the first sentence against Loujain. Loujain was imprisoned in May 2018, and accused of receiving foreign funding to impose foreign agendas, attending international conferences and events, and other such vague claims. She was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison, including the two and a half years she had spent in jail at the time of the verdict. In the tweet Lina claims that a decision like this implies that the Saudi state views the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the Netherlands as “terrorist entities”.

The global community views Loujain as a powerful feminist advocate, striving for greater gender balance. Her protest against the ban on women drivers, her meetings with international feminist groups, and communications with foreign diplomats threatened the Saudi state, who put her behind bars by implicating her in false charges. However, Loujain was released earlier this year due to mounting international pressure. With the time spent in custody prior to arrest, counting towards total years in prison, Loujain was finally released on February 10, 2021, much to international celebration. Loujain had expressed hope that her sentence would be revised following her release.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled at the court’s decision. To confirm Loujain’s earlier sentence, does not only mean that the court is not ready to view the persecution she faced as politically motivated, it also makes her future vulnerable to similar oppression. CFWIJ condemns the court’s remarks today and demand that Loujain be acquitted of all charges.

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

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