Washington, D.C. — The Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC) welcomes the release of Saudi PhD student Salma al-Shehab who has been unjustly imprisoned for over four years for peacefully exercising her freedom of expression online.
Al-Shehab, a doctoral candidate at the University of Leeds and mother of two young boys, was detained in 2021 while on vacation in Saudi Arabia with her family over tweets in support of Saudi women’s rights defenders. In April 2022, she was initially sentenced to six years in prison. In August 2022, her sentence was dramatically increased on appeal to 34 years in prison followed by a 34-year travel ban, one of the longest known sentences given to a peaceful activist for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
In January 2023, her sentence was reduced to 27 years in prison. During a retrial last September, her sentence was again reduced to four years in prison with another four-year suspension.
“After more than four years unjustly detained, including 10 months of solitary confinement because of tweets, we are relieved that Salma is finally free and able to reunite with her family,” said MEDC’s Director of Countering Authoritarianism Abdullah Alaoudh. “Her case is emblematic of the cruel and unjust nature of the Saudi judicial system and exemplifies Saudi Arabia’s ongoing repression of free expression.”
“Saudi authorities should ensure she is granted her full freedom and allowed the right to travel to complete her studies at the University of Leeds,” he added.
While al-Shehab’s case gained widespread international condemnation, Saudi authorities continue to subject peaceful critics to harsh sentences under vague cybercrime and counterterrorism laws, and torture and ill-treatment remain systematic in detention facilities. Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, a Saudi humanitarian aid worker and family member of U.S. citizens, was arrested in March 2018 over satirical tweets and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence followed by a 20-year travel ban. In January 2024, a Saudi terrorism court also sentenced Manahel al-Otaibi, a 30-year-old fitness instructor and women’s rights activist, to 11 years in prison for her promotion of women’s rights online. In July 2023, Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, a 55-year-old retired schoolteacher, also initially received a death sentence before it was reduced to 20-years imprisonment for criticising the Saudi authorities on X and Youtube.
Contact
Kristen McTighe, Senior Communication Manager, Kristen.McTighe@mideastdc.org
April Brady, Senior Communications Manager, April.Brady@mideastdc.org
