The Freedom Initiative’s Saudi Case Manager Bethany Alhaidari was quoted in an August 21 article titled Plea for Liz Truss to act after Saudis jail UK student for 34 years over Twitter use for The Guardian. Alhaidari discussed the shocking sentencing of Saudi Rights Activist Salma al-Shehab and the current status of human rights in Saudi Arabia.

Bethany Al-Haidari, Saudi case manager at the Freedom Initiative, a US-based human rights group, said Shehab’s case was “shocking” but “one of hundreds”. “She’s just the one that the world happens to get the chance to see. But this is a larger problem,” she said.

“There’s been a global campaign by the Saudi government to say things are changing and the country is reforming, but that’s just not true. In fact, it’s the opposite of what we’ve seen on the ground.”

She said cases of abuses were not limited to Saudi nationals, adding that those traveling there for sporting and other events could be at risk. “Only last year, there was a case where a US citizen was pulled off a flight and detained. You never know what can happen, especially if you’ve ever talked about human rights or are from a minority. It’s not a predictable regime.”

Read the full article here.

To set up an interview with Saudi Case Manager Bethany Alhaidari, email [email protected].