Who is Manahel al-Otaibi? Saudi woman arrested for tweeting reform messages
Saudi woman arrested
A young women's rights activist in Saudi Arabia was detained and imprisoned for having Twitter and Snapchat profiles that supported recent social advances while also demanding greater fundamental rights within the kingdom.
In November 2022, Manahel al-Otaibi, a 29-year-old certified fitness instructor and artist who regularly promotedfemale empowerment on her social media handles was detained. Saudi officials accused Otaibi, among other things, of using the hashtag #societyisready to push for an end to male guardianship regulations.
Otaibi is still being held without being convicted or punished. Previously, public demands for core women's rights, such as inheritance rights and the opportunity to leave a marriage with an abusive spouse, have been ruled seditious.
The case is the latest in a series of arrests and imprisonments of Saudis for using social media profiles to promote change or question Saudi authorities. Salma al-Shehab, a Saudi woman and former PhD student at Leeds University, was condemned to more than three decades in prison by a terrorist court for having a Twitter account and following and retweeting dissidents and activists.
Otaibi's social media handles present her as a young and progressive woman who enjoys fitness, art, yoga, and travel, as well as championing women's rights.
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Accused of not wearing 'decent'clothes
As percourt records, Otaibi is accused of not wearing "decent" clothing in addition to her usage of social media, which was reported to authorities by religious police. Her sisterFouz al-Otaibiwas also accused of not dressing properly but was able to depart Saudi Arabia before her imprisonment. Maryam, another one of hersisters, is a well-known women's rights activist who was arrested, jailed, and subsequently freed in 2017 for challenging guardianship restrictions.
Khalid Aljabri, a Saudi expert and frequent commentator on US-Saudi relations, said: “Manahel’s case is an example of the hypocrisy and selective application of draconian laws by the Saudi government that hosts foreign Instagram models to promote tourism by posting pictures in swimsuits but jails Saudi women for posting photos without wearing Abayas.”
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's government has frequently targeted Twitter users as part of a broader domestic and international repression campaign, which includesplanting spies inside the company to extract confidential user data about anonymous Twitter accounts perceived to be a threatto the royal family.
At the same time, the prince has a significant indirect stake in Twitter through the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund.
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