Saudi Arabia: PhD student released after four years in prison for women’s rights social media posts
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 4:20 PM

Saudi authorities have released Salma al-Shehab, a PhD student from the University of Leeds, after she spent four years in prison for advocating women’s reforms in Saudia Arabia and supporting feminist activists online. Initially arrested in 2021 while visiting Saudi Arabia and convicted of terrorism due to her posts, her sentence escalated from six to 34 years before multiple appeals reduced it. Human rights groups condemned the initial charges, arguing she was unjustly punished for peaceful activism, and continue to push for her full freedom, including the ability to return to her studies in the UK.
 
Compiled from: David Gritten, “Saudi PhD student freed after being jailed over posts, activists say,” BBC News, Feb. 10, 2025.