President Donald Trump speaks with Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, during their meeting Tuesday, March 14, 2017, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
American President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman might be, from all appearances spiced up with some of the speeches of Trump, the twosome de facto leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. If not, they clearly have plenty of influence.
The RINJ Foundation women collectively therefore request of these two men the release from prisons, held by secretive courts, on either secret or no legitimate charges in Saudi Arabia. This public notice and demand to American President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is made pursuant to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the context of human rights in the administration of justice section of the International Bill of Human Rights.
In the alternative, if these two leaders Messrs. Trump and bin Salman do not have any influence or authority in Saudi Arabia to effect the release of the following persons, we ask that they help lobby the United Nations Secretary General and the King of Saudi Arabia plus any persons known to them who could assist this worthy goal and to use their influence to have these human rights defenders set free unconditionally.
List of Persons RINJ Wants Released by Saudi Arabia:
- Abdullah Al Malki, academic and citizen-journalist
- Abdulaziz Meshaal
- Alaa Brinji, journalist for Al-Sharq, El Bilad and Okaz
- *Aisha al-Mana, female human rights defender, director of the Al-Mana General Hospitals and the Mohammad al-Mana College of Health Sciences. She is a feminist who has participated both in demonstrations against the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia and in the anti male-guardianship campaign. The RINJ Foundation wants charges dropped for this woman. She has been released mid year.
- Ali Al Omari, founder of the 4Shabab TV channel
- Aziza al-Yousef, female human rights defender
- Eman al Nafjan, women’s rights activist, founder of the Saudi Woman blog is a school teacher and later a university teaching assistant. She earned a master’s degree in teaching English as a foreign language from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. She then taught pre-med English at a university. She was working towards a PhD in linguistics. She was detained by Saudi authorities in May 2018
- Essam Al Zamil, economist and citizen-journalist
- Fadhel al Manafes, a citizen-journalist and human rights defender
- Hatoon al-Fassi was an associate professor of women’s history at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia, where she was employed since 1989 and at the International Affairs Department at Qatar University. Al-Fassi claims from her research into the pre-Islamic Arabian kingdom of Nabataea that women in the kingdom had more independence than women in modern Saudi Arabia. She was arrested in June 2018 for believing this.
- Ibrahim al-Modaimeegh
- Israa al-Ghomgham, human rights defender, columnist, citizen journalist, blogger
- Jamil Farsi, businessman and columnist for several Saudi newspapers, including Okaz; much followed on Twitter
- Loujain al-Hathloul, female human rights defender
- *Madeha al-Ajroush, female human rights defender took part in the first protests by Saudi women against the ban on women driving. The RINJ Foundation wants charges dropped for this woman. She has been released mid year.
- Malek al Ahmad, editor of several media outlets, founder of Al Mohayed (“The Neutral One“)
- Mayya al-Zahrani was reportedly arrested on Saturday, hours after posting comments online on the arrest of fellow activist Nouf Abdulaziz
- Mohammed Saud al Bishar, reporter and columnist, including for the Saudi newspaper Twasul
- Nassema al Sadah, women’s rights activist and columnist
- Nazir al Majid, writer and journalist for various media including Al Hayat et Al Sharq
- Nouf Abdelaziz al Jerawi, journalist, blogger and activist
- Raif Badawi, blogger, founder of the Saudi Liberal Network (an online forum)
- Saleh al Shehi, journalist with Al Watan
- Samar Badawi, is an extraordinary and internationally recognized human rights defender. She was arrested by the Saudi authorities again. Canada’s request for her immediate release sparked a major diplomatic dispute between Canada and Saudi Arabia.
- Salman al Awdah, reformist preacher and blogger with many followers
- Waleed Abu al Khair, founder of the Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia
Footnote: *Madeha al-Ajroush and *Aisha al-Mana have since May 18 been released from prison but with charges pending. The RINJ Foundation keeps these names on the list and is insisting that all charges be rescinded.
According to The Independent, the arrests of Madeha al-Ajroush and Aisha al-Mana and three other women, came “just six weeks before Saudi Arabia was due to lift the world’s only ban on women driving“.
The RINJ Foundation will seek a remedy by any legal and extra-legal actions that are available to obtaine the release of additional human rights defenders known to the persons in the above list to have been captured and held prisoner.
The RINJ Foundation offers at no charge to the Saudi Arabia leadership, free sensitivity training and counseling on how to facilitate a gender-parity environment for Saudi Arabia’ s people, aimed at increasing prosperity, improving wealth distribution, and providing lucrative business alternatives for the entire nation. Contact us.
Additional reading: Feminine Perspective Magazine
