/ / Urgent Action: TRIAL HEARING FOR IMPRISONED WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVIST

TRIAL HEARING FOR IMPRISONED WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVIST

UA: Fifth 14.24 Saudi Arabia

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A hearing for fitness influencer and women’s rights activist, Manahel al-Otaibi, is scheduled to take place before Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) on May 26, 2025. Manahel al-Otaibi has been imprisoned since November 16, 2022. On January 9, 2024, the SCC sentenced Manahel al-Otaibi to 11 years in prison for “terrorist offenses” in a secret trial. She was initially charged with violating the Anti-Cyber Crime Law, then faced additional charges under the counter-terror law due to her tweets in support of women’s rights as well as posting photos of herself at the mall without an abaya (a traditional loose-fitting long-sleeved robe) on Snapchat. Saudi authorities have subjected her to torture and other ill-treatment, as well as enforced disappearance.

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PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: October 12, 2025

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Step 1

READ THE FULL URGENT ACTION

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Remember to send your letter by October 12, 2025.

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Sample Letter

Your Excellency,

I am deeply concerned about the continued arbitrary detention of fitness influencer and women’s rights activist, Manahel al-Otaibi. Manahel al-Otaibi informed her family that her next trial date is set for May 26, 2025 in front of the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC).

The specifics of the hearing on May 26, 2025, are unclear because the authorities restrict and monitor Manahel al-Otaibi’s communication with her family and therefore she has not been able to inform them of details of court proceedings.

Manahel al-Otaibi was arrested on November 16, 2022, and charged with violating the Anti-Cyber Crime Law for tweeting hashtags in support of women’s rights and posting photos on Snapchat of herself at the mall without wearing an Abaya (a traditional loose-fitting long-sleeved robe).

As well as being subjected to months-long periods of enforced disappearance, Manahel al-Otaibi has also been subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in al-Malaz Prison. Manahel al-Otaibi suffers from multiple sclerosis, a chronic neurological disorder. In her last phone call to her family on May 11, 2025, she reported severe pain in her leg. She has not received adequate medical care.

I urge you to order the immediate and unconditional release of Manahel al-Otaibi, as she has been convicted solely for exercising her right to freedom of expression. Pending her release, she must be granted immediate access to medical care, and her allegations of torture and other ill-treatment must be impartially investigated.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Step 2

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Mail your letter to the government officials listed below. You can also email, fax, call, or post about them on social media.

Send your letter to:

Waleed Mohammed Al Smani, Minister of Justice

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Postal Code 11472, P.O.Box 7775

[email protected]

and

CC: Embassy of Saudi Arabia in the United States, Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Send a copy of your letter to the address below

601 New Hampshire Ave NW,

Washington, DC 20037

[email protected]

When writing your letter, don’t forget to be factual, brief, and show respect. See more letter writing tips and emails, or organize and host a letter writing party.

Other Urgent Actions for this Case

Fourth UA Issued: [Saudi Arabia 14.24]
Third UA Issued: [Saudi Arabia 14.24]
Second UA Issued: [Saudi Arabia 14.24]
First UA Issued: [Saudi Arabia 14.24]

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