British panel asks Saudi Arabia to allow it access to female activists in custody

LONDON, Jan. 24 (YPA) – A cross-party panel of British parliamentarians and international lawyers on Thursday renewed its call for Saudi authorities to allow it to visit female activists in custody and investigate reports of serious violations committed against them.

 The panel said at a press conference in London that it had not yet received a response from Saudi Arabia on its request to visit the female activists detained in the kingdom.

The panel submitted a request to the Saudi ambassador in London, Prince “Mohammed bin Nawwaf bin Abdulaziz,” earlier this month; to arrange a visit to Dhahban Prison near the city of Jeddah to speak to the activists in custody there. It set a deadline for responding to its request by 9 January, but it has received no response yet.

Many human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, reported that 8 Saudi female activists were tortured by electric shocks, whipping and sexual harassment.

On May 15, 2018, the Saudi regime arrested a number of female activists, many of whom have demanded lifting of ban on women driving.

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