Loujain
al-Hathloul, a women’s right activist was sentenced to five years and eight
months in prison on the charge of terrorism-related crimes by a Saudi court on
Monday, confirmed local media allowed to attend her trial.

Hathloul was
convicted of “various activities prohibited by the anti-terrorism
law”, the pro-government online outlet Sabq and other media cited the
court as saying.

According to AFP, Loujain al-Hathlou, who has been imprisoned since 2018 will be exempted of 34 months of her term “if
she does not commit any crime” within the next three years, the court verdict said.

The
reports however, did not explain whether the sentence included time served or say when
she may be released from custody.

Loujain al-Hathlou, who was being tried by Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) under a vague and broadly-worded law aimed at combating terrorism, which
campaigners dub as a way of issuing long jail terms to silence
critical voices, was arrested in May 2018 with dozen other activists just
weeks before the historic lifting of a decades-long ban on female drivers, a
reform they had long campaigned for.

As far as the government’s stance is concerned, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told AFP earlier this month that Hathloul
was accused of contacting “unfriendly” states and providing
classified information, an allegation of which no evidence were produced her family denied.

Hathloul’s family also alleged sexual harassment and torture with her during detention. But Saudi authorities down-rightly denied the charges.

According to her siblings, Hathloul was also reportedly compelled to end a hunger strike she began in prison on October 26 to demand regular contact with
her family, 

“She
was being woken up by the guards every two hours, day and night, as a brutal
tactic to break her. Yet, she is far from broken.” Amnesty said last month, citing the activist’s
family.

Meanwhile, Saudi
Arabia has been facing intense criticism for its
human rights violations due to which US President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming administration could intensify scrutiny of its failings.

United States Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations on the other hand have demanded the “immediate and
unconditional release” of Hathloul.

However, Hathloul has been granted 30
days period to file a motion to appeal against the judgement.