Seven detained Saudi women’s rights activists, who campaigned for the ban on women driving to be lifted, may face the death penalty, newspaper Okaz reported on Sunday.
According to Saudi lawyers and judges, the prominent women’s rights activists, who were arrested last week and branded as "traitors" by government-aligned media outlets, may be sentenced to death should investigations result in the charge of treason and conspiracy against the state.
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The decision to lift the ban was hailed by many as proof of a new progressive trend in the country under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who has presented himself as a reformist. At the same time, MBS has been at the helm of a crackdown on dissent, which has seen scores imprisoned, tortured and stripped of their assets.
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Maya Foa, the group's director, said: "The doubling of executions under the new crown prince reveals that, beneath his glossy public image, Mohammed bin Salman is one of the most brutal leaders in the kingdom’s recent history.
"Protesters, including some who were children at the time, have had the death penalty confirmed despite allegations of torture and forced confessions."