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https://news.yahoo.com/saudi-fitness-instructor-manahel-al-152328232.html
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A 29-year-old fitness instructor popular on social media in Saudi Arabia faces charges that could see her imprisoned over her posts, becoming the latest person targeted in a crackdown in the kingdom.
The case against Manahel al-Otaibi shows the limits of expression in Saudi Arabia, even for those like al-Otaibi who offer support to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s moves toward liberalizing some aspects of life in the ultraconservative kingdom. Meanwhile, Prince Mohammed has solidified his power in part through imprisoning the country’s elite and others who speak out as his father, 87-year-old King Salman, retains formal control.
“They say they welcome women and that women can wear whatever — but at the end what is happening is that it’s only for Westerners,” said Lina Alhathloul, the head of monitoring and advocacy at ALQST, a London-based group advocating for human rights in Saudi Arabia that’s followed al-Otaibi’s case. Alhathloul’s sister, Loujain, remains in the kingdom due to a travel ban following a prison sentence for her own activism….
Al-Otaibi, who posted fitness videos on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, faces charges of “defaming the kingdom at home and abroad, calling for rebellion against public order and society’s traditions and customs, and challenging the judiciary and its justice,” according to court documents seen by The Associated Press. Her posts included advocacy for liberal dress codes for women, LGBTQ+ rights and the abolition of Saudi Arabia male guardianship laws.
The documents also accuse her of appearing in indecent clothing and posting Arabic hashtags that include the phrase “overthrow the government”….
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A 29-year-old fitness instructor popular on social media in Saudi Arabia faces charges that could see her imprisoned over her posts, becoming the latest person targeted in a crackdown in the kingdom.
The case against Manahel al-Otaibi shows the limits of expression in Saudi Arabia, even for those like al-Otaibi who offer support to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s moves toward liberalizing some aspects of life in the ultraconservative kingdom. Meanwhile, Prince Mohammed has solidified his power in part through imprisoning the country’s elite and others who speak out as his father, 87-year-old King Salman, retains formal control.
“They say they welcome women and that women can wear whatever — but at the end what is happening is that it’s only for Westerners,” said Lina Alhathloul, the head of monitoring and advocacy at ALQST, a London-based group advocating for human rights in Saudi Arabia that’s followed al-Otaibi’s case. Alhathloul’s sister, Loujain, remains in the kingdom due to a travel ban following a prison sentence for her own activism….
Al-Otaibi, who posted fitness videos on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, faces charges of “defaming the kingdom at home and abroad, calling for rebellion against public order and society’s traditions and customs, and challenging the judiciary and its justice,” according to court documents seen by The Associated Press. Her posts included advocacy for liberal dress codes for women, LGBTQ+ rights and the abolition of Saudi Arabia male guardianship laws.
The documents also accuse her of appearing in indecent clothing and posting Arabic hashtags that include the phrase “overthrow the government”….
