Saudi Arabia sentences fitness 'influencer' to 11 years in prison for wearing 'improper clothes'

2024-05-02 19:37:15Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Saudi Arabia sentences fitness 'influencer' to 11 years in prison for
Manahel al-Otaibi

A women's rights activist and fitness influencer from Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to 11 years in prison because of her clothing.

Manahel al-Otaibi was convicted in January, but details of her case were recently published in Saudi Arabia's official response to a United Nations human rights request after the country claimed she was jailed for "terrorist offences".

In the letter, Saudi Arabia outlines their case for arresting and charging the 29-year-old.

Saudi authorities said she was arrested for "terrorist offences".

Human rights groups warned that Al-Otaibi was jailed because of her choice of clothing and social media posts where she posted the hashtag "remove male guardianship".

Al-Otaibi wore what were considered "indecent clothes" in the video and went shopping without an abaya, a long robe, human rights groups said.

Saudi Arabia claims that Al-Otaibi was "convicted of terrorist offenses that have no bearing on her exercise of freedom of thought and expression or her posts on social media".

Saudi Arabia's anti-terrorism law, under which Ms Al-Otaibi was convicted, has been criticized by the United Nations as an overly broad tool to suppress dissent.


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