“Loujain is at home,” tweeted Lina Al-Hathloul, announcing the release of her sister and prominent women’s rights activist, Loujain al-Hathloul. According to sources, Loujain was released on Wednesday from a Saudi prison after nearly three years behind bars.
The family thanked US president, Joe Biden, for putting pressure on Riyadh. There is no official communication about the release of Loujain.
Hathloul was detained in May 2018 and sentenced in December to nearly six years in prison. The court suspended two years and 10 months of her sentence, after international condemnation poured in. The 31-year-old still faces a five-year travel ban ordered by the court, according to Reuters.
Rights groups and her family say Hathloul, who had campaigned for women’s right to drive and to end Saudi’s male guardianship system, was subjected to abuse, including electric shocks, waterboarding, flogging and sexual assault.
Saudi authorities denied the accusations. A Saudi appeals court dismissed the torture claims, citing a lack of evidence, her family said on Tuesday.
Amnesty International on Wednesday urged Riyadh to bring to justice “those responsible for her torture” and ensure Hathloul faces no further punitive measures like a travel ban.
The ban on women driving in the country was lifted in 2018.
