A United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council investigator suggested member states to pressurize Saudi Arabia to free women activists before the G20 summit in November, which will be hosted by Riyadh.
At least 13 women’s rights activists were arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2018 as it lifted a ban on women driving cars.
Agnes Callamard, the French Human Rights expert said in a speech to the council in Geneva “prisoners of conscience, women, human rights defenders that are currently in prison for demanding the right to drive”.
Saudi officials said the detainees were suspected of having harmed Saudi interests and offered support to hostile elements abroad.
The families of some of the activists, included Loujain al-Hathloul, raised concerns earlier this year when they were unable to contact their detained relatives in prison for several weeks. Contact was eventually restored. Khashoggi’s killing. Callamard attended those proceedings.
