Saudi Arabia: Women’s rights activist Loujain Al Hathloul released

Dubai: Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain Al Hathloul has been released from prison after spending 1,000 days behind bars on charges of incitement to change the Kingdom’s ruling regime.

Her sister, Lina Al Hathloul, posted the news on her Twitter account with a screenshot of a smiling Loujain speaking to her via a video call.

On December 28, the Riyadh Saudi Criminal Court suspended two years and 10 months of Loujain’s sentence of five years and eight months.

The 31-year-old activist was arrested in May 2017 on charges of incitement to change the ruling regime and cooperating with individuals and entities involved in terrorist crimes to serve a foreign agenda. Her trial started in March 2019 one month before the Kingdom abolished its ban on women’s rights to drive.

She was arrested with other women’s activists under the anti-terror crime law. In 2014, Loujain was also arrested for her attempt to drive from the UAE to Saudi Arabia.