A leading Saudi women’s rights activist who graduated from the University of British Columbia faces charges that include communicating with diplomats and journalists, according to people familiar with an indictment that makes no mention of earlier statements alleging she and fellow detainees were arrested for ties to foreign intelligence.
“This is about national security. These were individuals who are accused of taking money from governments, accused of recruiting people to obtain sensitive information from the government and passing it on to hostile powers,” Adel al-Jubeir, then Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry, said at a Council on Foreign Relations event in September.
Al Hathloul’s indictment, which hasn’t been made public, charges her with being in touch with human-rights groups, Saudi dissidents abroad, diplomats of Western nations that are Saudi allies, and foreign journalists, according to five people with knowledge of the sensitive case who asked not to be named. She’s accused of discussing women’s rights and her previous detention, among other issues.
In an interview in October, 33-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the women’s arrests were unrelated to their activism, saying that others who campaigned for greater rights remained free. Authorities have evidence they’re connected to foreign intelligence agencies, he said. Asked if that meant foreign diplomats and journalists, he said no.
It’s not clear what charges the rest of the defendants face, but one of the people who spoke said another of those detained faces a similar indictment, without mention of intelligence ties. Most observers believe Al Hathloul’s case is the most serious.