
In a significant turn of events, a Saudi Arabian court has reduced the sentence of women’s rights activist and academic Salma Al-Shehab from 27 to four years, with an additional four years suspended.
This decision was recently announced by human rights organisations including, UK-based ALQST, Geneva-based MENA Rights Group, Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), and Freedom House.
Organisations call for Al-Shehab’s immediate release
In an open letter, the organisations welcomed the court’s decision, describing it as a “significant step to correct a gross miscarriage of justice.”
“We expect Al-Shehab to be released within the next few days, and urge the Saudi authorities to ensure she is granted full freedom, including the right to travel to complete her PhD studies at the University of Leeds in the UK,” they said.
The organisations voiced concern over the hardships Al-Shehab has endured, including her deteriorating health in prison. They also noted her participation in a 2023 hunger strike alongside other women, protesting their unjust imprisonment.
Al-Shehab’s arrest and initial convictions
Al-Shehab, a 36-year-old mother of two and PhD student, was arrested on January 15, 2021, while on vacation in Saudi Arabia.
She was held in solitary confinement for 10 months and subjected to extensive interrogation before being tried in the Specialised Criminal Court—a body frequently used to silence dissent.
Al-Shehab sentenced for retweeting
Al-Shehab was convicted for following and retweeting dissidents on X (formerly Twitter). Initially sentenced to six years in March 2022, her sentence was shockingly increased to 34 years upon appeal in August 2022, one of the harshest punishments for peaceful activism.
In January 2023, her sentence was reduced to 27 years. However, a retrial in September 2024 further lowered it to just four years, with an additional four years suspended. The organisations highlighted this inconsistency, emphasizing the need for systemic judicial reforms in Saudi Arabia.
Call for broader reforms
“The huge discrepancy between sentences at different stages underscores the need for systemic reform of the Saudi judicial system to ensure fair trials, consistent sentencing, and human rights protections,” the organizations said.
They reiterated their demand for Al-Shehab’s immediate release and compensation for her wrongful detention.
Since Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, became the Saudi Crown Prince in June 2017, dozens of imams, women’s rights activists and members of the ruling royal family have been detained.
In August 2022, Nourah al-Qahtani, a mother of five, was sentenced a week later to 45 years in prison over tweets from two anonymous accounts.
Among those arrested are prominent Islamic preachers Salman al-Awdah, Awad al-Qarni, Farhan al-Malki, Mostafa Hassan and Safar al-Hawali.