Free Saudi rights activist Nassima al-Sada

Nassima al-Sada is an activist, human rights educator and mother of three who has campaigned for civil and political rights, women’s rights and the rights of the Shi’a minority in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia for many years. She stood in municipal elections in 2015 but was banned from participating. She has also campaigned for the right of women to drive and for the end of male guardianship system.

Nassima al-Sada was detained without charge or trial from July 2018 until June 2019 when she appeared for her first court session. She was also placed in solitary confinement from February 2019 until the beginning 2020. After months of delays and prolonged detention without trial, and due to mounting international pressure, Saudi authorities resumed trials of detained women activists, including Nassima al-Sada, on 25 November 2020.

The Saudi Arabian authorities continue to arbitrarily detain without charges and try individuals for their peaceful expression and human rights work. Amongst those are: Mohammed al-Bajadi, founding member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) and A prominent human rights defender who has been detained without charges or trial since May 2018; and Salman al-Awda, a reformist cleric who faces a death sentence for the peaceful expression of his views.