Activists slam Saudi Arabia for arresting ‘pregnant woman’

Saudi activists yesterday launched a widescale campaign on social media networks to stand in solidarity with prominent feminist writer, Khadija Al-Harbi, who was reportedly arrested from her home a few days ago despite being pregnant, local media has reported.

Al-Harbi, who had been advocating for women’s rights, was arrested, along with her husband Thumar Al-Mazouqi, on 4 April by Saudi police from her home. She was reported to have been in the “late stages of pregnancy”.

The Saudi campaign, dubbed “the arrest of a pregnant woman in Saudi Arabia”, went viral on social media platforms slamming the kingdom’s authorities.

Campaigners called on the authorities to “immediately release Al-Harbi”, describing her detention as a “big shame”.

Al-Harbi and Al-Mazouqi were said to have been advocating for the release of a number of female activists who had been detained in the kingdom.

READ: Saudi Arabia begins new wave of arrests targeting human rights activists

Reuters reported last week that the Saudi authorities had arrested eight journalists and writers, including two American citizens in what rights groups had described as a “new campaign of arbitrary arrests.” Among the detainees was Salah Al-Haydar, a Saudi citizen of US nationality, who has a family home in the US but lives with his wife and child in the Saudi capital Riyadh. His mother is prominent women’s rights activist Aziza Al-Yusuf, who is being tried and was recently released from prison.

Riyadh has been carrying out an arrest crackdown against government opponents. The campaign is headed by Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman.