USCIRF Welcomes the Release of Salma Al-Shehab and Assad al-Ghamdi
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has welcomed the release of activists Salma al-Shehab and Assad al-Ghamdi from Saudi prisons after they were subjected to medical neglect, solitary confinement, and verbal abuse during their detention.
Saudi authorities arrested Salma al-Shehab in 2021 due to her social media activism, while Assad al-Ghamdi was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2024 under the Counterterrorism Law for social media posts.
In response, USCIRF Chair Stephen Schneck stated: ”No person should be imprisoned for criticizing a government’s mandated interpretation of religion. While the release of these detainees is a positive step, systematic and severe restrictions on religious freedom in Saudi Arabia remain deeply concerning.”
USCIRF Commissioner Maureen Ferguson emphasized that many prisoners of conscience remain unjustly detained, adding:
”While we welcome the release of al-Shehab and al-Ghamdi, other individuals, such as Mohammed al-Ghamdi, Nourah al-Qahtani, and Manahel al-Otaibi, are still arbitrarily detained. Additionally, Loujain al-Hathloul’s travel ban should be fully lifted.”
In its 2024 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. State Department designate Saudi Arabia as a “Country of Particular Concern” due to its systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.
