Saudi women’s rights activist Samar Badawi has been summoned for interrogation, according to reports:
In January 2016, Badawi faced charges of “incit[ing] public opinion against the state” for speaking out against al-Khair’s imprisonment under his Twitter account. Badawi continues to speak out on behalf of al-Khair, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence for criticizing the government and defending Badawi’s brother, Raif Badawi. In 2012, the Saudi government sentenced Raif to 1,000 lashes and ten years in prison for “insulting Islam” and other related charges.
The World Movement for Democracy expressed its concern and alarm over the summons, the latest in a long line of intimidation tactics Badawi has endured since she began her advocacy work:
Badawi received the 2012 International Women of Courage Award (left) for her tireless advocacy for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, which has included spearheading the first women’s suffrage campaign in 2011 and a women’s right-to-drive campaign in 2012. In December 2014, Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior placed a travel ban on her at the King Abdulaziz International Airport when she tried to leave the country to attend the EU NGO Forum in Brussels, Belgium.
In January 2016, Badawi faced charges of “incit[ing] public opinion against the state” for speaking out against al-Khair’s imprisonment under his Twitter account. Badawi continues to speak out on behalf of al-Khair, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence for criticizing the government and defending Badawi’s brother, Raif Badawi. In 2012, the Saudi government sentenced Raif to 1,000 lashes and ten years in prison for “insulting Islam” and other related charges.
