Fifth anniversary of the arrest of Saudi activist Najwa Al-Humaid

Today, May 16, 2026, marks five years since the arrest of Saudi activist Najwa Al-Humaid, who was detained in 2021 as part of a security campaign targeting several young activists over their engagement with hashtags related to unemployment and prisoners of conscience, as well as tweets calling for political reform and respect for human rights in Saudi Arabia.

The Public Prosecution brought a series of common charges used against activists and dissidents, most notably “communicating with suspicious entities” and “following opposition accounts on Twitter.” Violations against Najwa also included forcing her in October 2022 to appear in statements broadcast by the state-run Al-Ikhbariya channel, in what appeared to be an attempt to whitewash Saudi prisons and conceal ongoing abuses against political detainees.

In this context, SANAD Human Rights Organization condemned the continued detention of Najwa Al-Humaid, calling for her immediate and unconditional release and fair compensation for the harm caused by her arbitrary detention.