New Delhi: A woman, Salma al-Shebab, has been sentenced to 34 years in prison in Saudi Arabia. Salma will also face a 34-year travel ban following the completion of this sentence. Salma al-Shehbab had retweeted several tweets about Saudi women’s rights from her Twitter account. Salma had advocated for the release of a number of other female activists, including the imprisoned activist Loujain al-Hathloul.
According to the Daily Mail, the Saudi government claimed that Salma used Twitter to incite public unrest, and that her tweet posed a threat to national security. She was sentenced to 34 years in prison by the Saudi Terrorism Court.
Salma has two kids. One is four years old, and the other is six years old. She had previously been sentenced to six years in prison.
Which tweet is the cause of unrest?
Salma had retweeted Lina’s tweet, the sister of activist Loujain al-Hathloul. Lina demanded the release of her sister, Loujain al-Hathloul, in this tweet. Simultaneously, Salma retweeted tweets from activists living in exile who disagreed with Saudi.
Arrested in January 2021
Salma was arrested in Saudi Arabia in January 2021 while on vacation. She was studying for her PhD at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. Salma is a Shia Muslim.
Dr Bethne Al Hydari’s statement has also come to the fore in this matter. He works as the Saudi case manager for the ‘Human Rights Organization’ in the United States. According to Dr Al Hydari, Saudi Arabia is bragging to the world about the work being done for the interests of women, the status of women is improving, and legal reforms are being implemented. But, based on the way Salma was sentenced, it is clear that the situation in the country is deteriorating.
