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Saudi Women’s Rights Activist Loujain al-Hathloul Is Free

Loujain al-Hathloul's family said she had been released from prison, after 1,001 days in jail.
Saudi Women’s Rights Activist  Loujain al-Hathloul Is Free
Photo: Lina Al-Hathloul / Twitter

Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul has been released from prison, her family has said, after spending more than 1,000 days in jail.

The 31-year-old’s sister, Lina, posted a screenshot of her having a video call with Loujain, along with the words, “Loujain is at home”.

Al-Hathloul was arrested in May of 2018, accused of attempting to “destabilise” Saudi Arabia and jailed later that year for nearly six years.

She had repeatedly defied the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia, and was among the most prominent critics of the country’s male guardianship system.

Her arrest in 2018, and that of other women’s rights activists, came as Saudi crown prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman prepared to lift the ban on women driving in the country.