2 Saudi women to be tried for driving

RIYADH: Authorities in Saudi Arabia have transferred two detained women’s rights campaigners to an anti-terrorism tribunal, activists say.

A court in the al-Ahsa region of Eastern Province issued the ruling on Thursday.

Loujain al-Hathloul has been kept in custody since December 1 for defying Saudi Arabia’s driving ban on females. She tried to drive into the kingdom from neighboring United Arab Emirates in defiance of the ban.

Meanwhile, 33-year-old Maysa al-Amoudi, who was based in the UAE and arrived at the border to deliver food, water and a blanket to Hathloul, was detained for driving as well.

Regarding the court proceedings, activists did not provide complete details of the charges against the pair. However, they said the focus of investigations appeared to be on the social media activities of the detained women rather than their driving.

Hathloul has about 228,000 followers on Twitter. Before being detained, she had tweeted details about the 24 hours she had to wait to cross into Saudi Arabia.

Amoudi also has some 131,000 followers and was the host of a YouTube program on the driving issue.

Saudi women are increasingly defying the driving ban, publishing online videos of themselves behind the wheel.

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that prohibits women from driving. The ban is based on a fatwa (religious order) imposed by the country’s Wahhabi clerics. If women get behind the wheel in the kingdom, they may be arrested, sent to court and even flogged.

Saudi authorities have defied calls by international rights groups to end what has been described as violations of women’s rights in the monarchy.

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