Women in Saudi Arabia have been allowed to drive since the kingdom lifted the ban in June 2018, one of the historic social reforms inaugurated in recent years by Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman. Under the crown prince, the kingdom encouraged women to work and loosened the guardianship system that gave women’s parents, husbands or brothers the final say about their travels, jobs and wedding plans.
But along with the changes, there was continued repression against those who did not align themselves with the Crown Prince, including members of the royal family, businessmen and clergy, as well as activists, including al-Hathloul. After drawing international attention by challenging the driving ban and speaking out against other restrictions in the kingdom, Ms. Al-Hathloul and at least 10 other activists were arrested a month before the ban expired, accused of treason in the state controlled media.
“My sister is not a terrorist, she is an activist,” his sister, Lina al-Hathloul, said in a statement on Monday.
“To be condemned for their activism for the same reforms that MBS and the Saudi kingdom so proudly promote is the ultimate hypocrisy,” she added, referring to the Crown Prince by his initials.
Analysts said the timing of Loujain al-Hathloul’s arrest suggested that the government wanted to make it clear that the change came from the Saudi government, not the people.
Saudi officials rejected any connection between the charges against Ms. Al-Hathloul and her activism, rather than saying that she was arrested because she was working with foreign entities hostile to Saudi Arabia. The charges against her include demanding women’s rights and pushing for the abolition of the guardianship system, trying to apply for a job at the United Nations and speaking to foreign journalists, diplomats and human rights organizations, according to her family.
“There are accusations of dealing with states hostile to the kingdom and of providing confidential information and other issues like this,” Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, told Agence France-Presse during his visit to Bahrain this month.