Saudi women’s rights activist faces unnamed charges without a lawyer
13 March 2019 |
11:11 am
The trial of a Saudi rights activist has begun without her able to consult a lawyer or even know the charges she faces. Loujain al-Hathloul has faced sexual assault and torture in custody, according to activists.
Related
3 Sep 2021
Despite temperatures exceeding 48 degrees Celsius, Bedouins from the al-Shammari tribe in the Al Nufud Al Kabir desert, in the northen part of Saudi Arabia, continue to live the traditional desert lifestyle, residing in tents and raising camels, keeping to the same routines to cope with the heat for generations.
4 Sep 2021
Once allies, Saudi Arabia and the Taliban have been divided by war, betrayal, and 9/11. As Afghanistan changes and Middle East relations shift, the two won't rekindle ties, but another nation is looking closely at Kabul.
4 Sep 2021
A human rights campaigner in India has told FRANCE 24 how she and her team have lost contact with some of their associates and fellow activists in Afghanistan since the Taliban swept to power. Vandita Morarka is the founder and chief executive of One Future Collective and has long worked with colleagues in Afghanistan. She says to lose contact with some of them is "very sad" and that it's "terrifying" to see the situation unfold for the country. She also spoke to us about her work to empower women and young people in her home country of India.
8 Sep 2021
Michael Fawcett has stepped aside to allow a probe into allegations that he offered to help secure a knighthood and British citizenship for a wealthy Saudi businessman.
26 Sep 2021
Ethiopian lawyer Daniel Bekele is the winner of the 2021 German Africa Prize. The human rights defender is being honored for his unceasing commitment to monitoring and speaking out against injustice.
23 Sep 2021
"The fact that the women are so disliked by these men is beyond belief, I don't understand why," says Afghan women's rights activist and CEO of Afghan Women's Network Mahbouba Seraj. "We should sit down and have a conversation."
1 Oct 2021
This week on The Observers, we start with the story of Ethiopian migrants who have been kept in Saudi Arabian prisons for months in poor conditions, with dirty surroundings and little to eat or drink. We spoke to Arafat Jibril Bakrii, a human rights activist who has been helping migrants to share photos and videos of their living conditions.
20 Oct 2021
Icy relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran are thawing — and may lead to renewed bilateral ties. Realistically, diplomatic offices might open soon but it is unlikely that the countries will become close allies.
27 Oct 2021
Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2060, says Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, days before the COP26 global climate summit. In March, Saudi Arabia unveiled a sweeping campaign to tackle climate change and reduce carbon emissions, including a plan to plant billions of trees in the coming decades.
27 Oct 2021
Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Thursday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.
30 Oct 2021
The Lebanese ambassador has been asked to leave Saudi territory within 48 hours. The move comes after Lebanon's information minister criticized the Saudi-led war against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
8 Nov 2021
Photos on social media claim to show the skeleton of one of the murdered DR Congo human rights activist, Fidèle Bazana. The posts also claim that the skeleton was found in the property of a high-ranked police officer. False! These skeletons actually belong to archeological findings from last year.Also, fake photos of the Day of the Dead in Mexico emerge online. Find out more on this edition of Truth or Fake.
Latest
1 day ago
The war in Ukraine has forced a major rethink of European security, with further enlargement of both NATO and the EU now on the table. Kyiv has asked for a fast-track procedure for EU membership. Moldova and Georgia have also applied. The EU has made it clear that Ukraine belongs to the European family. However, admitting several more nations would be highly challenging. And even before the war, the EU was already negotiating with candidate countries Albania, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. We discuss how far the EU should grow, and how fast that process should be, with two MEPs.
1 day ago
As Berlin seeks to ween itself off Russian energy sources, Chancellor Scholz has said Qatar "plays an important role" in energy policy. The visiting Emir of Qatar has confirmed could start LNG deliveries by 2024.
1 day ago
Germany's defense minister has said the anti-aircraft tank will be used to protect "critical infrastructure" in Ukraine from Russian attacks.
1 day ago
On day two of the Cannes Film Festival, FRANCE 24's Olivia Salazar-Winspear tells us why the première of "Top Gun: Maverick" has movie fans jostling to catch a glimpse of US actor Tom Cruise on the red carpet. We also take a look at the first films competing for the Palme d'Or, as Kirill Serebrennikov returns to Cannes to present "Tchaikovsky's Wife". The Russian director was unable to attend the screenings of his last two films, "Petrov's Flu" and "Leto", due to living under virtual house arrest in Moscow in recent years.
1 day ago
Taipei has introduced a "new Taiwan model" to shift away from its "zero-COVID" strategy. But public health experts warn of an increase in COVID-19 fatalities if the island can't streamline policies.
1 day ago
In France, coming out of the closet and living openly as a member of the LGBTI+ community can be a significant psychological, emotional and social challenge. Until just 40 years ago, it was also a legal one. In 1982, the age of consent was lowered from 21 to 18 for homosexuals in France, making it the same for everyone. This landmark law paved the way for important civil liberties, including the legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2013. But there are still obstacles to be overcome. To find out more about the ongoing fight for equality, we speak to Sébastien Tüller, LGBTI+ legal advisor for Amnesty International France.