8 Things To Know About The Sentencing of Saudi Activist Loujain al-Hathloul

Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul: The first sentencing of Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul was upheld by a Riyadh court on Wednesday. Her sister Lina al-Hathloul had tweeted about the new development on her Twitter handle.

"UPDATE: the judges confirmed the first sentencing of @LoujainHathloul, which means SA confirms considering the UK, the EU, and the Netherlands “terrorist entities” and contacting them a “terrorist act," she tweeted. Loujain had appealed against the December 2020 sentence which prohibits her from travelling for five years, and includes many other restrictions as well. She was hoping that the court would make some amendments with the sentence.

UPDATE: the judges confirmed the first sentencing of @LoujainHathloul, which means SA confirms considering the UK, the EU, and the Netherlands “terrorist entities” and contacting them a “terrorist act”. #FreeLoujain. pic.twitter.com/ognZu2EuWM

— Lina Alhathloul لينا الهذلول (@LinaAlhathloul) March 10, 2021

Here Are 5 Things To Know About  Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul Case

1. Loujain al-Hathloul is a women's rights activist who hails from Saudi Arabia. She had spent more than 1000 days in prison, but was released on February 10, 2021.

• She was allegedly tortured in prison, for being a threat to the country's security. Loujain was charged under the Article 6 of the Anti-Cybercrime law in 2018. The law penalises the transmission and production of any material which goes against public morals, religious values, etc.
• Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul was arrested for the first time in 2014. She was attempting to travel across the border from the UAE. She had to spend 73 days in a women's detention facility.
• Loujain al-Hathloul had stood up for Saudi local elections in December 2015, but was scrapped from it.
• She has been actively advocating for the abolishment of the male guardianship system. She had signed a petition for this demand alongwith 14,000 other people in 2016.
• In 2017, she was arrested from the at King Fahad International Airport, Dammam. The reason for the same was never disclosed, and she wasn't allowed to contact her family or a lawyer.
• In 2018, she was kidnapped and deported to Saudi Arabia and was slapped with a travel ban. A year later, her court trial was delayed.
• In November last year, she was transferred to  a special court for terrorism and national security crimes. Her court trials then begun in December.