THE release of two Saudi women activists from confinement recently has once again raised questions about the pace and genuineness of reforms in the kingdom, particularly when it comes to human rights, and specifically women’s rights. Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah had been in captivity since 2018, after the Saudi state had launched a crackdown on activists. Another prominent rights activist, Loujain al-Hathloul, was released earlier this year after she was handed an over five-year sentence on charges of ‘terrorism’. However, Ms Hathloul is not allowed to leave Saudi Arabia. It is unclear what has prompted the release of the women activists. One possibility is that American ‘nudging’ may be behind the move. A US official was in Riyadh recently and met the head of the Saudi Human Rights Commission. According to a US government Twitter account “steps forward in women’s and labour rights in Saudi Arabia” were discussed. The Biden administration professes to put human rights at the top of its foreign policy agenda whereas, of course, the Trump administration had no such compulsions. Therefore the Americans may well have had conversations behind the scenes with the Saudis urging them to spruce up their image where human rights are concerned.

At one time Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was touted as a great reformer of the desert kingdom. Of course, the grisly murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate — widely believed to have been ordered by Riyadh — tarnished this reputation considerably. While the prince has tried to modernise his kingdom by allowing women to drive, hosting concerts and wrestling matches, all of this will be meaningless unless there is genuine reform in the area of fundamental rights. Specifically, the right to question the government and basic freedoms for all, irrespective of sect, gender and tribe, should be guaranteed in the kingdom. This will prove that the reform drive is genuine. Saudi Arabia’s attempts to project a modern image is fine but they must be accompanied by actual political freedoms.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2021