Chairman Risch Statement on Women Activists Released in Saudi Arabia

Chairman Risch Statement on Women Activists Released in Saudi Arabia

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement following news reports that the government of Saudi Arabia has temporarily released three of the 11 women activists who are imprisoned and currently on trial in Saudi Arabia:

“I welcome news that three of the 11 activists who have been unjustly detained for promoting women's rights in Saudi Arabia were temporarily released on bail on Thursday. The temporary release of Eman al-Nafjan, Aziza al-Yousef, and Ruqayya al-Mohareb is a good first step, but there is more to be done. The government of Saudi Arabia should immediately and unconditionally release all human rights activists standing trial, extend unconditional terms to the three women released earlier this week, and hold anyone complicit in prisoner torture to account. Additionally, I call for the release of American citizen Dr. Walid Fitahi.”

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