Beirut: One of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent women’s rights advocates, Loujain al-Hathloul, was released from prison on Wednesday, one of her sisters said. Hathloul had been in custody since May 2018, when she was arrested as part of a government crackdown targeting feminist activists.
Her imprisonment, along with her allegations that she was tortured while in custody, focused global attention on the punishing, years-long crackdown by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on human rights activists, civil society figures and dissidents.
Saudi human rights activists Loujain al-Hathloul.Credit:Amnesty International
Her release – which sister Lina al-Hathloul announced in a joyous Twitter message – was one of the clearest signs yet that Saudi Arabia was taking steps to blunt criticism of its human rights record by Biden administration officials.
“Loujain is at home!!!!!!,” the sister wrote.
