ALERT! According to this, Saudi authorities on the first day of Ramadan arrested a number of activists, including three of Saudi Arabia's most prominent women's rights activists. Named here are @LoujainHathloul, @Saudiwoman, and @azizayousef.
Update: We now know that Aziza Al Yousef, Loujain Al Hathloul, and Eman Al Najfan were not the only women's rights activists arrested. There were more, but we only know of these three names, perhaps because they're the most prominent.
In the case of Loujain Al Hathloul, she was forcibly returned by the UAE to Saudi Arabia, only to be later arrested by Saudi authorities.
The activists were surveilled for weeks. Travel bans were issued two weeks ago to ensure they can't leave, and then arrests came a few days ago. More travel bans were issued than were arrests made, suggesting more arrests may be coming.
The mood is very bleak. Reminiscent of 2014 in Egypt, or my arrest in the UAE - the fear factor used to shut down activism and to scare all voices offline or into silence.
MBS may have shut down Saudi women's rights activism within Saudi Arabia in one fell swoop. The only voices free to speak now will be those based outside Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, women's rights accounts in Saudi Arabia that are still online are being flooded with threatening messages from all sorts of Twitter accounts. It's an organized, orchestrated, premeditated fear campaign to shut down the women's rights movement within the country.
Some other women's rights activists within Saudi Arabia are scrambling to delete their accounts because they're afraid they're next. Several activists outside Saudi Arabia are now considering whether it's wise to return at all.
Travel bans have also been issued against the families of the arrested activists, and the families are also being surveilled and are banned from speaking to the media.
This level of assault on these activists is unprecedented, even the most severe previous crackdowns by the Saudi regime didn't go this far. The more legitimacy/praise MBS gets overseas, the more he guts Saudi civil society.
MBS's intention to make another round of arrests (and even further ones) was leaked over a month ago but we *never* expected him to go this far.
Arresting women was always seen as shameful. Arresting them on the first day of Ramadan? Unprecedented and breaks so many social taboos. This is the Muslim equivalent of nabbing people on Christmas eve.
Meanwhile, the official Saudi news agency (SPA) released a short, cryptic statement saying that "7 persons" have been arrested. No mention who, when, or whether this refers to or includes the activists mentioned in this thread.
spa.gov.sa/1767612
spa.gov.sa/1767612
Reasons for these arrests given: "organized work to overstep religious and national boundaries", "communicating with foreign bodies for suport", "recruiting people in government positions", "endangering the country's safety and stability", "harming national unity".
Here's a reminder that last time women's rights activists were arrested for driving in Saudi Arabia, they were charged with terrorism. This time, they seem to want to charge them with treason. theguardian.com/world/2014/dec…
MBS wants an obedient and pliable population that doesn't have an opinion of its own and doesn't seek its own interests or rights. Towards this, he wants to strangle Saudi civil society.
That way, MBS gets to present his "reforms" as a gift granted by the all-benevolent ruler, rather than a result of a dialectic between power and activism, or as the result of the work of activists. MBS wants a subdued society that doesn't resist or dissent.
The *most* important thing to remember is that this wave of arrests is happening *because* of MBS's Western charm offensive and not *despite* it. His charm offensive is what enabled him to move on these brilliant, brave people with such confidence.
This is what happens when we turn the light away from a dictator's abuses - their abuses multiply. When a dictator is reforming is when we should push him on human rights most. It's NOT a chance to give him a break, it's a chance to push him even harder.
If someone wants to understand what's happening, you can listen to this podcast that talks about MBS's incentives and "reforms" vs Saudi activism and political rights.
*Please* keep up the pressure and keep spreading the news and tagging down large accounts so that they cover this. The least we owe these brave people is to make noise and show solidarity. Please, if you care about women's rights at all, please stand with them.
UPDATE: This is the confirmed list of activists arrested. Please use this list as reference. The list in the original post is not accurate.
Please note: The original tweet incorrectly quotes "Dr. Mohammed Alrabea" as one of those arrested. The arrested person is a different person, a young man called Mohammad Alrabea.
Please stand with them. Please do not abandon them. Please flag down every women celebrity, every women's rights activist, everyone who cares about women's rights. Please make noise. Please. Your support can be make or break.
Please, please keep the pressure up. That's the only leverage we as activists have right now. Keep the pressure up.
UPDATE: We now have confirmation that the "7 persons" arrested does indeed include 5 women's rights activists: Aisha AlMana, Madeha AlAjroush, Aziza Al Yousef, Eman Al Najfan, Loujain Al Hathloul. The regime is accusing them of treason.
MBS has just arrested the country's most prominent and respected women's rights activists and is charging them with *treason*.
Please listen to & share this alert - it contains background info, bios of the activists, Q&A, and a plan.
