Saudi Arabia: CFWIJ welcomes the release of Nassima Al-Sadah and Samar Badawi from Saudi prison.

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June 28, 2021- CFWIJ is delighted by the release of Saudi women rights activists Nassima Al-Sadah and Samar Badawi from prison. Both women were freed on Sunday, June 27, after serving their prison sentence. They were detained in July 2018 on the suspicion of harming the Kingdom’s interests. There are few details available on the trials against both activists. CFWIJ welcomes the release of Nassima and Samar from prison. However, given the details of their detention, we condemn the authorities’ torture of the imprisoned activists. The activists should never have been apprehended in the first place.

On June 27, ALQST for Human Rights tweeted that prominent women rights activists Nassima Al-Sadah and Samar Badawi were released after serving their sentence. Columnist and founder of Al-Adalah Center for Human Rights, Nassima was detained on July 31, 2018. She is known for her efforts in fighting for women's rights to drive and vote. Nassima has also fearlessly campaigned against the male guardianship system. In 2011, she was the first of few females who petitioned to claim women’s rights to contest municipal elections. Nassima Al-Sadah was the first woman to file her nomination papers when the Kingdom allowed women to participate in municipal elections in 2015. The activist used to write for the Saudi online publication Juhaina, mainly covering women’s rights and their lack of participation in politics. 

Nassima and Samar’s arrests were part of a broader crackdown against women journalists and activists that started in May 2018. At least 15 activists were detained as part of a government policy that led to the repeal of the women’s driving ban. The decision was announced to mask the human rights abuses the regime was carrying out inside prisons with dissidents. 

Amnesty Gulf also welcomed the release of both women activists on Twitter, stating, “These brave women should have never been detained in the first place. They should have been appreciated for leading change in Saudi Arabia.”

Samar Badawi won the United States’ International Women of Courage Award in 2012 for her role in challenging the male guardianship system. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism welcomes the release of both activists and wishes them luck and strength in their future endeavors. We also urge the Saudi regime to end the unjustified persecution of human rights activists for raising their demands for equality. We hope that Nassima and Samar will not be further intimidated by the state authorities.