Name: Manahel Al-Otaibi
Field of Activism: Feminist activist, fitness trainer, and social media blogger
Date of Arrest: November 16, 2022
Sentence: 11 years
Current Place of Detention: Al-Malaz Prison, Riyadh (Her whereabouts have been unknown since December 2024, amounting to enforced disappearance)
Charges:
Opposing laws related to women, such as the male guardianship system
Participating in campaigns against these laws on social media
Posting pictures and videos in clothing deemed “immodest” by authorities
Going to public places without wearing an abaya, documenting it, and posting on Snapchat
Trial and Sentencing Timeline:
July 26, 2023: She was scheduled to appear before the Specialized Criminal Court for her first trial session, but the hearing was postponed without legal justification
January 9, 2024: She was sentenced to 11 years in prison after a secret hearing before the Terrorism Court
November 3, 2024: The Specialized Criminal Court of Appeal upheld her 11-year prison sentence
Violations:
- Arbitrary Arrest: She was detained solely for her activism in women’s rights
- Enforced Disappearance: She was forcibly disappeared for months without her family being allowed to contact her
- Solitary Confinement: She was repeatedly placed in solitary confinement, including in late August 2023 without air conditioning and again in April 2024 after suffering a leg fracture
Torture and Physical Abuse:
- Mid-September 2024: She was stabbed in the face with a sharp pen by an unidentified person inside the prison, requiring stitches. She was then placed in solitary confinement for two weeks. This was not the first time she had been physically assaulted
- April 14, 2024: In a phone call to her family, she revealed that she was held in solitary confinement with a broken leg and in inhumane conditions
Denial of Communication:
- She was prevented from communicating with her family for months following her arrest, with repeated restrictions on her ability to contact them
- December 15, 2024: She made her last phone call to her family, and since then, authorities have refused to respond to the family’s repeated attempts to inquire about her whereabouts
Who is Manahel Al-Otaibi?
Manahel Al-Otaibi is a prominent Saudi women’s rights activist, fitness trainer, and social media influencer. She gained recognition for her bold advocacy against the male guardianship system and for demanding greater freedom for women in Saudi Arabia. Her case sparked controversy after she posted pictures of herself without an abaya—a practice permitted by law but perceived as defiance by the authorities.
She was arrested in November 2022 as part of a broader crackdown on women’s rights activists. Since then, she has been subjected to severe human rights violations, including enforced disappearance, solitary confinement, medical neglect, and physical abuse. She was sentenced to 11 years in prison in a secret trial. Her family has not received any updates about her whereabouts since December 2024, effectively rendering her a victim of enforced disappearance—an egregious violation of international law.
Free Manahel Al-Otaibi
While Saudi Arabia attempts to convince the world that it is implementing social reforms, Manahel Al-Otaibi, a feminist activist, remains behind bars simply for advocating for women’s rights and the freedom to choose what to wear. The kingdom has successfully misled FIFA with fake reform claims to secure the 2034 World Cup, yet female activists continue to suffer imprisonment, torture, and enforced disappearance. Manahel Al-Otaibi’s ongoing detention exposes the falsehood of these claims and proves that repression remains the norm.