Tunis, 11 February 2020
The undersigned Tunisian and international associations express their satisfaction for the release, on 10 February, of prominent Saudi women’s rights defender Loujain Al-Hathloul, following a parole decision by Saudi authorities, ending nearly three years imprisonment, while restricting her right to freedom of expression and preventing her from leaving the country for five years.
We urge the Saudi authorities to release all women activists, arbitrarily imprisoned, as Loujain Al-Hathloul in 2018, for campaigning for the end of male guardianship, and for communicating with international human rights groups and Saudi activists inside and outside the kingdom.
We also call for the liberation of all Saudi prisoners of conscience, and an end to restrictions on Loujain Al-Hathloul’s right to freedom of expression and movement.
Loujain Al Hathloul was subjected during her detention to various forms of torture, including “electrocution, flogging and sexual harassment,” according to reports issued by Arab and international rights groups. The Saudi judiciary, lacking independence, rejected her torture complaint.
The sentence of five years and eight months in prison handed down, on 29 December 2020, by an exceptional court in Riyadh against Loujain Al-Hathloul, was called by 25 Tunisian rights groups as a “shameful stain on the Saudi judiciary.”
The undersigned signatories:
- Association for Arts and Cultures on both Sides of the Mediterranean
- Association for Creativity and Development and Employment
- Association for the Promotion of the Right to Difference
- Attajdid Forum for Progressive Thought
- Attalaki for Feeedom and Equality
- Beity Associqtion
- Citizenship, development, cultures & migrations of the two shores association
- Committee for the Respect of Freedoms and Human Rights in Tunisia
- Daam Center for Democratic Transition and Human Rights
- Euromedrights
- Free Sight Association
- Hassan Saadaoui Foundation for Democracy and Equality
- League of Tunisian Free writers
- National Observatory for the Defense of the Civilian Character of the State
- National Union of Tunisian Journalists
- No Peace Without Justice
- Organization 23_10 for support of the Democratic Transition Process
- Organization against Torture in Tunisia
- Organization of the martyr for freedom Nabil Barakati: Remembrance & loyalty
- Street Art Association
- Tunis Center for Press Freedom
- Tunisian Association for the Defense of Academic Values
- Tunisian Association for the Defense of Individual Freedoms
- Tunisian Association for the Support of Minorities
- Tunisian Association of Democratic Women
- Tunisian Coalition for the Abolition of the Death Penalty
- Tunisian forum for youth empowerment
- Tunisian League for the defense of Human Rights
- Tunisian Women’s Association for Research on Development
- Tunisians’ Committee of Vigilance for Democracy (Brussels-based)
- Vigilance Association for Democracy and the Civic State
Read also:
- NPWJ joins Tunisian NGOs’ appeal calling on Saudi Authorities to release Loujain al-Hathloul and all prisoners of conscience, 16 November 2020
- Ending Impunity: Now Is the Time for a UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights Situation in Saudi Arabia, By Niccoló Figa-Talamanca, Secretary General of NPWJ, Just Security, 8 April 2020
- Human Rights and Freedom Under Siege, United Nations HG, New York, 26 September 2019
