Saudi doctoral students were released after being imprisoned in a post, activists say
A Saudi doctoral student at Leeds University has been released from Saudi prisons after sentences reduced over important social media activities, activists said.
Salma Al Sheave, the 36-year-old mother of the two, was arrested in 2021 while on vacation in the Gulf Kingdom.
She was later imprisoned in a terrorist court for six years over “disturbing the public order” and “destabilizing the social fabric” rather than posts calling for reform and activists to release.
The sentence increased 34 years ago, when it fell twice on appeal – first 27 years, then four years suspended. There were no immediate confirmations from Saudi Arabian authorities.
Shev’s release was first reported by the UK-based Saudi rights group ALQST, who said she was subjected to “a four-year arbitrary voluntary imprisonment based on her peaceful activities.”
“Her complete freedom must now be recognized, including the right to travel to complete her research at the University of Leeds.”
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, has overseen a wide crackdown on objections over the past eight years, and peaceful critics on social media have been entitled to long prison writing and rights groups. He was given the death penalty after a trial by the terrorist court. What I say is unfair.
Shehab, a dental hygienist and medical educator who was in the final year of her research at Leeds University School of Medicine, has brought several messages to call for reform and the release of prominent activists, clergy and other intellectuals before she travels. Posted or reposted the Kingdom 5 years ago.
One post was praised as “Prisoner of Conscience.” The ban on women’s driving was lifted in 2018, making the group of women’s rights activists who were later convicted of crimes against the state a major group of women’s rights activists.
Dana Ahmed, a Middle Eastern researcher at Amnesty International, said Shehab was convicted of terrorism accusations “just because he tweeted in favor of women’s rights and retweeted a Saudi woman’s rights activist.” .
“Today is the day to celebrate the release of Salma, but it’s also an opportunity to look back at many others who are serving similarly long sentences in Saudi Arabia for their online activities,” she added.
“This includes other women such as Manahel Al Otaibi and Nuura Al Katani, who were jailed for speaking out about women’s rights, and Abdulrahman Al Sadhan has been in a satirical tweet for 20 years. I was imprisoned.”
The BBC has contacted the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the University of Leeds for comment.