Saudi Arabia releases activists that pushed for women’s Rights

After being arrested last month, eight activists from Saudi Arabia have been “temporarily” released. They were imprisoned for protesting against the country’s ban towards women drivers.

The group was composed of three men and five women, and nine other activists for women’s rights have been held under custody due to “sufficient evidence against them.” They were arrested for threatening “the security and stability of the Kingdom, its social peace and national unity.” The latter nine individuals have been detained due to confessions of cooperating with “individuals and organizations hostile” to the country, according to a report delivered by Saudi Arabia Public Prosecution.

The detainees have not been identified by the press. It is believed that the State Security Presidency, which reports and communicates directly with the King and Prince, had been monitoring the activists before their arrest. Their arrest was done prior to the termination of the ban, set to occur in June 24. Even though this date was coming, the activists’ arrest raised concern from protest groups, since it seemed like Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud had changed his mind.

According to Saudi activist and author Manal Al-Sharif, the arrests showed a rollback on the apparent progress the groups had achieved. He told to CNN: “We used to live in a police state; if you speak up you go to jail. And then there would be a defamation campaign against you, saying all sort of untrue things. Character assassination.”

People familiar with the arrested activists have stated that they were aiming to achieve more reforms and to address other topics while the government was open to new ideas, as the June 24th deadline showed.

The decision for lifting the ban was made public in September of last year. The decision was announced in a Royal decree read publicly and televised. One of the explanations for the ban’s dropping was the fact that it had brought Saudi Arabia a negative global reputation and that is was potentially affecting their public relations. Several officials and clerics have attempted to justify the ban throughout the years, with some saying that male drivers would not know how to behave with women driving in the streets and some stating that women drivers would produce promiscuity and deteriorate family values inside their culture. A cleric even went as far as to say, with no evidence at all, that driving could affect women’s ovaries. The announcement of the ban’s lifting did come with backlash from Saudi citizens, arguing that it would increase the likelihood of epidemics and adultery.

Protests for the ban’s dismissal have been held for several years, usually resulting in activists being detained or jailed. Hope for change to happen increased wit the entry of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the government, since he has shown to have a reform-based approach to the country’s politics and economics. Another milestone for women in the country came in 2015, when they were finally allowed to vote and formally engage in their country’s local counsels.

Women being allowed to drive would also come with some specific regulations to help the reform ease into the country’s daily reality. Saudi ambassador in the U.S. Prince Khalid bin Salman stated that women would apply for driver’s licenses without having their husbands’ permission. Women are not allowed to do so when it comes to traveling abroad, working or undergoing medical procedures. Whether they will be able to work as professional drivers is still a matter of discussion for the Interior Ministry.