Additional Name(s): نورة القحطاني
Gender: Female
Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia
Ethnic Group: Arab
Religion or Belief: Unspecified
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Appeal: Increased to 45 Years' Imprisonment
Sentence: Originally 13 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: July/4/2021
Date of Sentencing: August/9/2022
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Online Activity Possession of Religious Materials
Nature of Charges: Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials Subversion Terrorism
Nourah al-Qahtani
Extra Bio Info:
Nourah al-Qahtani is imprisoned in relation to possessing religious materials.
On July 4, 2021, officers of the Presidency of State Security arrested al-Qahtani for her online activities, in which she condemned Saudi human rights violations and called for the release of political figures.
On February 16, 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court sentenced al-Qahtani to 13 years in prison under articles 43, 46 and 53 (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Law. It ordered half of her sentence be suspended and imposed a 13-year travel ban upon her release.
On March 22, 2022, prosecutors filed an appeal of al-Qahtani's sentence, in which they levied additional charges, including article 6 of the Anti-Cybercrime Law, which prohibits “storing materials impinging on public order & religious values,” and articles 30, 34, 35, 38, 43, 44 and 57 of the Anti-Terrorism Law. Authorities argued that al-Qahtani's had “insult[ed] the symbols of the State and call[ed] for the release of those detained in State security cases, in addition to possessing a banned book.” The banned booked in question was written by religious scholar and prisoner of conscience Salman al-Ouda.
On August 9, 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court of Appeal sentenced al-Qahtani to 45 years in prison after finding her guilty of “preparing, sending and storing information, through the Internet, seeking to harm public order” and “seeking to disturb the social fabric, national unity, social cohesion and basic laws." The court also imposed a 45-year travel ban upon her release.
In June 2023, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared al-Qahtani's detention arbitrary and called for her immediate release.
Sources:
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"Nourah al-Qahtani serving a 45-year prison sentence over tweets" MENA Rights Group
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"Opinion No. 27/2023 concerning Salma bint Sami bin Abdulmohsen al-Shehab and Nourah bin Saeed al-Qahtani (Saudi Arabia)" UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
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"Revealed: jailed Saudi woman was convicted of ‘spreading lies through tweets’" The Guardian
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"Nourah al-Qahtani: Saudi woman jailed for 45 years for social media posts" British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
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"After Bin Salman’s deceptive promises of female empowerment, Saudi women face their toughest year yet" European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR)
Dec 5, 2023
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Azerbaijan
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on religious freedom conditions in Azerbaijan:
Azerbaijan Country Update – This report provides an update on religious freedom conditions in Azerbaijan in 2023. Although Azerbaijan has in recent years ceased some problematic practices regarding state interference in its people’s practice of their religion or beliefs, the government has shown little interest in reforming laws and policies that violate Azerbaijan’s international human rights commitments. Within the last three years, the government has twice amended its religion law to introduce new restrictions on a variety of religious activities. The report describes the legislative framework that facilitates the official regulation of religious practice, concerns for religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh, the ongoing repression of Shi’a Muslim religious activists, and the impact of the government’s refusal to allow conscientious objection.
In its 2023 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State include Azerbaijan on its Special Watch List for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom. In December 2022, USCIRF released a report on authoritarian states’ promotion of religious tolerance.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].
Dec 4, 2023
USCIRF Releases Report on Religious Freedom in Belarus
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on religious freedom conditions in Belarus:
Belarus Country Update – This report provides an overview of religious freedom conditions in Belarus in 2023, including the impact of expanding government repression on religious communities. The religious freedom situation in Belarus continues to deteriorate as Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka subjugates every aspect of social life to the state’s security and bureaucratic apparatuses. In 2023, Belarus’ parliament considered adopting a new religion law that would impose stricter requirements on religious communities and unjustifiably prohibit them from certain religious and political activities. Law enforcement agencies harass Protestants who conduct ordinary religious activities without state approval, and local authorities pressure Roman Catholics by targeting their houses of worship, including Minsk’s iconic Church of Saints Simon and Helena (also known as the Red Church). Christian religious leaders of all denominations are often detained, fined, imprisoned, and forced into exile for activities that the state perceives as political in nature.
In its 2023 Annual Report, USCIRF highlighted the negative trajectory for religious freedom conditions in Belarus. In November 2021, USCIRF released a report that detailed the decline of religious freedom in Belarus following the government’s brutal crackdown on popular anti-government protests in 2020.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].