But Abdullah Alaoudh, Saudi director of the Freedom Initiative, which advocates for the rights of detainees in the Middle East and north Africa, said he believed the Biden administration’s lack of attention to the issue helps explain the worsening human rights situation in Saudi Arabia, including ‘unprecedented level of executions and arrest of people over social media use.’”

“It shouldn’t require a federal lawsuit for a U.S. citizen to protect herself from Saudi Arabia’s thugs, but Areej has been left with no other options. We hope U.S. courts can provide them both with some measure of justice and protection that is sadly unavailable elsewhere,” Andrea J. Prasow, executive director of the Freedom Initiative, said in a statement.

“The novel case, filed under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute, cites repeated security failures that allowed the informants working for Twitter to send information about thousands of anonymous users to the Saudi regime while royal funds were invested in the company, becoming one of its largest shareholders.”

“There are far too many people in detention in Saudi Arabia who do not have the benefits of U.S. citizenship to draw attention to their cases,” [Abdullah Alaoudh] said. “Almadi’s release shows that strategic pressure works, and U.S. officials should continue to press for release of prisoners and lifting of travel bans.”

“‘Carly Morris was released early Wednesday, after being summoned and taken into custody by Saudi authorities in the north-central city of Buraidah on Monday,’ according to the Freedom Initiative.”

“Saudi authorities should immediately lift the travel ban against her and permit her to return home to the US with her daughter.”

“Though Morris’ daughter only held US citizenship at the time of departure, upon her arrival in Saudi Arabia, she was immediately subject to the country’s male guardianship laws, under which she is barred from exiting the country without her father’s permission,” [the Freedom Initiative] said.