Rina Abdulaziz: Ongoing Arbitrary Detention Exposes Saudi Repression of Women

Saudi authorities continue to detain human rights activist and university student Rina Abdulaziz, 22, for over 1,330 days since her arrest in May 2021 due to tweets expressing her opinion.

Rina suffers from a bacterial lung infection and has endured enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention in the city of Qassim without any legal justification. Her case is part of a broader crackdown targeting women for exercising their right to free expression on social media. The list of affected women includes Salma Al-Shehab, Fatima Al-Shawarbi, Sarah Al-Jar, Asmaa Al-Sibaii, Yasmeen Al-Ghafili, and many others.

Saudi Arabia has issued its harshest sentence against a woman to date, sentencing Noura Al-Qahtani to 45 years in prison for using an anonymous account to advocate for prisoners of conscience.

Sanad Human Rights Organization renews its call for the immediate release of Rina Abdulaziz, ensuring she receives proper medical care and compensation for the harm she has endured. The organization emphasizes the need to respect the right to freedom of expression and to cease targeting women.