SANAD Renews Its Call for Salma Al-Shehab’s Release on the Fourth Anniversary of Her Arrest

These days mark the fourth anniversary of human rights activist Salma Al-Shehab’s arrest, which took place in January 2021 over tweets calling for reform and the release of prisoners of conscience.

Al-Shehab, a mother of two and a PhD student at the University of Leeds, UK, is one of the most prominent defenders of human rights. Initially sentenced to six years in prison by the Specialized Criminal Court, her sentence was raised to 34 years by the Appeals Court in August 2022, before being reduced first to 27 years, and finally to four years with the sentence suspended.

SANAD Human Rights Organization reiterates its call for Salma Al-Shehab’s immediate and unconditional release and the lifting of all restrictions imposed on her. The organization stresses the importance of not criminalizing the work of human rights defenders and ensuring the protection of freedom of expression.