Saudi Arabia, SAEDNEWS, Dec. 28: State-linked Saudi news outlet Sabq reported on Monday that al-Hathloul had been found guilty by the court on charges including agitating for change, pursuing a foreign agenda and using the internet to harm public order.
The court suspended two years and 10 months of her sentence.
She has 30 days to appeal the verdict.
Al-Hathloul, 31, has been in custody since 2018 after being arrested along with at least a dozen other women’s rights activists.
Al-Hathloul’s case, and her imprisonment for the past two and a half years, have drawn criticism from rights groups, members of the US Congress and European Union lawmakers.
According to rights group ALQST, court documents in al-Hahtloul’s trial are rife with “gross judicial flaws”, including evidence from the prosecution where she is said to have confessed to actions related to her human-rights activism.
“The more information that comes to light from Loujain al-Hathloul’s trial, the more apparent it becomes how deeply flawed the whole process is,” said ALQST’s Executive Director Alaa Al-Siddiq.
“From the charge sheet and entire evidence relating simply to her peaceful activism, to the deplorable use of the terrorism court and Counter-Terrorism Law, the Saudi authorities are making a mockery of justice, and the international community must call this out.” (Source: AlJazeera).
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