United Nations human rights experts are urging Saudi Arabia to release two women who received lengthy prison sentences for criticizing the government on social media. Salma al-Shehab and Nourah bint Saeed al-Qahtani were arrested in 2021 and convicted by a specialized court, originally designed for terrorism cases, but increasingly used to suppress dissent. Al-Shehab received a 34-year sentence, while al-Qahtani was sentenced to 45 years.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that the women were denied due process and that the court lacked impartiality. They also noted credible allegations of al-Shehab's mistreatment during her detention. The experts highlighted the kingdom's use of broadly defined anti-terrorism and cybercrime laws to stifle free speech. They emphasized that the women's activism and peaceful expression online should not be criminalized and called for their immediate release and compensation.

Saudi Arabia's human rights record has drawn increased international attention as the country expands its influence in global sports, notably attracting top soccer players and merging with the PGA Tour. The Saudi government disputed the UN report's findings, claiming a lack of evidence and asserting the independence of its judiciary.

Human rights organizations that contributed to the report believe these harsh sentences serve as a warning to others. Inès Osman, director of the MENA Rights Group, stated that the sentences aim to deter online dissent. Lina Alhathloul, from the rights group ALQST, emphasized the importance of the UN's role in exposing these arrests, highlighting the government's attempts to conceal such violations. Alhathloul's sister, Loujain, a prominent women's rights activist, was previously imprisoned and remains subject to a travel ban. She had campaigned for the right for women to drive, a ban that was eventually lifted in 2018.

Al-Shehab, a mother of two and a researcher at Leeds University in Britain, was arrested while on vacation in 2021 and reportedly spent over 285 days in solitary confinement. Al-Qahtani was arrested for advocating the release of political prisoners and criticizing human rights abuses on anonymous social media accounts. Rights groups stress the difficulty in documenting the full scale of the crackdown due to the secrecy surrounding these trials and the widespread fear of reprisal.