Salma al-Shehab, a 36-year-old Saudi Arabian PhD student from Leeds University, has been released after serving a four-year prison sentence for her social media activity supporting women’s rights.
Arrested in January 2021 during a visit to Saudi Arabia, al-Shehab was initially sentenced to six years in prison, which was later increased to 34 years on appeal. Following international advocacy, her sentence was eventually reduced, leading to her release in February 2025.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have welcomed her release but continue to call for the freedom of others imprisoned for similar online activism.
