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Saudi Activist Gets 34 Years in Prison for Tweets Demanding Women’s Rights

HeadlineAug 16, 2022

In Saudi Arabia, women’s rights defender Salma al-Shehab has been sentenced to 34 years in prison over her advocacy. It’s reportedly the longest sentence ever given to a Saudi women’s rights activist. Al-Shehab was initially sentenced to a six-year prison term over tweets she posted critical of Saudi Arabia’s treatment of women. But an appeals court last week increased the sentence to 34 years behind bars and banned al-Shehab from leaving the kingdom for an additional 34 years. Human rights advocates warn of worsening conditions for Saudi women as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman intensifies his crackdown on dissent.

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