Human Rights Watch urges release of Saudi woman
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for the prompt release of a Saudi woman who was detained for defying the kingdom’s ban on female driving.
HRW issued a statement saying that “King Abdullah should immediately order the release of Manal al-Sherif, who was arrested after she defied the kingdom’s de facto ban on driving by women,” AFP reported on Tuesday.
The kingdom’s religious police arrested Manal al-Sherif on Saturday after she challenged the ban by posting a video on Facebook and YouTube showing her driving a car in the eastern city of Khobar.
Her lawyer said although she was released after a few hours, the 32-year-old computer security consultant was later re-apprehended by the criminal investigation police.
Christoph Wilcke, HRW senior Middle East researcher, said that “arresting a woman who drove her family around in a car and then showed it online opens Saudi Arabia to condemnation and, in fact, to mockery around the world.”
“King Abdullah should end Saudi Arabia’s pariah status in the world as the sole country banning women from driving.”
“Just as his predecessors made their mark by introducing education for girls, King Abdullah can shape his legacy by opening the roads to women drivers,” he added.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world to ban women -- both Saudi and foreign -- from driving. Women are also barred from voting, except for chamber of commerce elections in two cities in recent years, while no woman can become a cabinet member.
The women’s campaign on their Facebook page, called “Teach me how to drive so I can protect myself,” is calling for a mass women’s drive on June 17, and more than 12,000 people who viewed the page have indicated they support the call.
Source: ehrantimes.com
