Manahel al-Otaibi

Extra Bio Info:

Manahel al-Otaibi is imprisoned for her women's rights activism critical of state imposed religious systems.

In November 2022, authorities arrested al-Otaibi, an online fitness influencer, for reportedly not wearing "decent" clothing and for promoting female empowerment on her social media, which included calls for an end to male guardianship rules. 

In January 2023, al-Otaibi appeared in front of judges who referred her case to the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC).

On July 26, 2023, the SCC postponed al-Otaibi's hearing without scheduling a new date.

In December 2023, human rights organizations reported that al-Otaibi has been forcibly disappeared for over a month. 

In April 2024, five months after Saudi authorities forcibly disappeared al-Otaibi, she contacted her family for the first time and told them she was being held in solitary confinement in al-Malaz Prison with a broken leg after being brutally beaten in detention, and without access to medical care.

Soon after, also in April 2024, it was reported that al-Otaibi was sentenced to 11 years in January 2024 on multiple charges under Saudi Arabia's social media, counter terror, and male guardianship laws. The charges include calling on social media for an end to the country's male guardianship system, posting videos of herself wearing “indecent clothes”, “going to the shops without wearing an abaya” (a traditional dress), using digital technology "used in terrorist crimes," and broadcasting "false or malicious rumors, or the like for committing a terrorist crime."

In September 2024, it was reported that al-Otaibi was able to contact her family after not being able to for at least one month. She alleged that Saudi authorities continue to subject her to abuse while in detention.

In October 2024, it was reported that al-Otaibi has been subject to more abuse in prison that required medial attention. She was also reportedly held in solitary confinement for two weeks.

In November 2024, the SCC upheld al-Otaibi’s 11-year prison sentence.

In January 2025, it was reported that al-Otaibi was held incommunicado for at least 30 days. 

In May 2025, it was reported that Saudi authorities would convene an appeal hearing before the SCC for al-Otaibi at the end of June.