Women arrested in Saudi Arabia for protesting government detention of family members

In Saudi Arabia, human rights advocates are condemning the arrest of more than two dozen women over the weekend who were protesting the government’s detention of their relatives. The protesters said the detainees are in custody without facing charges or court proceedings.

A video posted online by activists shows women and children chanting on a busy street corner as security officers pull at their signs. One sign reads in English: “People want the prison free.”

According to the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, 26 women and 13 children were detained. Protests also took place in Riyadh and Mecca, according to the FARS news agency.

Most legal proceedings in Saudi Arabia take place in secret and defendants are rarely allowed formal representation by a lawyer, according to Amnesty International.

For more, we’re joined by Hutoon Al Rashid. She’s part of the Women2Drive campaign and the Right to Dignity. She’s from Riyadh, but is joining us now from Germany where she is studying.