Saudi Arabia Considers Clemency for Female Activists Ahead Of G20

By Staff - The Guardian

Saudi Arabia is considering clemency for jailed female activists ahead of its hosting of the G20 summit this month, the Saudi ambassador to the UK has said.

The kingdom has been under growing pressure on its human rights record ahead of the summit, which is to be held virtually on 21 and 22 November. This includes the fate of a group of women who were prominent in the campaign for the right to drive. One of the themes of the G20 is women’s empowerment.

Speaking to the Guardian, Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud claimed that the women had been detained for reasons other than seeking the right to drive, but that a debate was under way in the foreign ministry about whether their continued detention was causing Saudi Arabia so much political damage that it was not worthwhile.

One of the jailed women, Loujain al-Hathloul has been on hunger strike in Al-Hair high security prison since 26 October in protest at her conditions there. A UN women’s rights committee expressed alarm last week at her deteriorating health.

Hathloul was arrested with nine other women’s rights advocates in May 2018, months before women were finally granted the right to drive.

Her family, including her sister, claim she has been tortured. At least five of those arrested remain in jail.

The ambassador said there was merit in the arguments both for and against clemency. “We are definitely moving in a different direction, but we are not a western nation and people need to understand that some of our beliefs are different,” he said.