UK Student Jailed in Saudi Arabia for Tweets Supporting Women's Rights Released After Decades-Long Sentence Drastically Reduced

A Saudi woman who was sentenced to 34 years in prison for tweeting in support of women's rights has been released following international outrage and multiple appeals.

Salma al-Shehab, a Saudi PhD student and mother of two, was arrested in 2021 for tweeting and retweeting posts advocating for women's rights. She was initially sentenced to six years behind bars, but her punishment was later increased to an unprecedented 34-year prison term on terrorism-related charges for tweets said to "disturb public order" and "destabilize the security of society and the stability of the state."

Efforts from advocacy groups reduced her sentence to four years, leading to her release this month, Amnesty International announced Monday.

Al-Shehab's imprisonment sparked widespread condemnation from human rights organizations, with Amnesty International highlighting the extreme injustice she endured, including nearly 300 days in solitary confinement and denial of legal representation.

"Salma al-Shehab's ordeal in prison is finally over," said Amnesty International's Dana Ahmed. "Saudi authorities must now ensure she is not subjected to a travel ban or any further punitive measures."

"While today is a day to celebrate Salma's release, it's also an opportunity to reflect on the many others serving similarly lengthy sentences in Saudi Arabia for their activities online," Ahmed added, advocating for the release of women and men still imprisoned for advocating for women's rights.