By Uzair Adam Imam
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has expressed grievance over the 34-year prison sentence of one Saudi woman, Ms Salma Al-Shehab, 34.
Al-Shehab, a doctoral student, was sentenced to 34-year imprisonment for following and retweeting so-called dissidents and activists.
She was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2021 while on holiday from her studies at Leeds University in the UK.
The woman, who has two small kids, was sentenced to jail, followed by a 34-year travel ban in connection with a series of tweets and retweets on political and human rights issues in Saudi Arabia,
OHCHR expressed concern in a statement by its spokesperson, Liz Throssell, urging the Saudi authorities to quash her conviction and release her immediately and unconditionally.
The statement read, in part, reads, “She should never have been arrested and charged in the first place for such conduct.”
“Saudi Arabia must not only release Al-Shehab so that she can re-join her family but also review all convictions stemming from free expression against human rights defenders.
“The government should release those jailed, including women who were jailed after they legitimately demanded reforms of discriminatory policies, as well as religious leaders and journalists,” Throssell said.