Eman al-Nafjan

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Eman al-Nafjan
Eman al-Nafjan EFF.png
Born
Saudi Arabia
Alma mater University of Riyadh, [1] University of Birmingham [1]
Occupation(s)writer, educator
Children3 [1]
Website saudiwoman.wordpress.com

Eman al-Nafjan is a Saudi Arabian blogger [2] and women's rights activist. [3] She was detained by Saudi authorities in May 2018 along with Loujain al-Hathloul and five other women's rights activists in what Human Rights Watch interpreted as an attempt to frighten her and the other activists, during the 2018–2019 Saudi crackdown on feminists. [4]

Contents

On 14 March 2019, PEN America announced that Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain Al-Hathloul, and Eman Al-Nafjan would receive the 2019 PEN America/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, which was presented on 21 May at the 2019 PEN America Literary Gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. [5]

In late March 2019, the women presented their defence and described physical and sexual abuse they had endured in captivity. Eman al-Nafjan, together with Aziza al-Yousef and Dr Rokaya Mohareb were released on bail. [6]

In September 2019, al-Nafjan received "The Prize for Courage", awarded by Reporters Without Borders. She remained barred to travel out of Saudi Arabia, and hence could not collect her award. [7] [8]

Childhood and education

Al-Nafjan was born in Saudi Arabia, the daughter of a Saudi high ranking military officer. She earned a bachelor's degree in English at what at the time was the University of Riyadh (KSU). She worked as a school teacher and later a university teaching assistant. She earned a master's degree in Teaching English as a foreign language from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. [1]

Al-Nafjan taught pre-medical English at KSU. She encouraged students to discuss their opinions freely and write about them, which her student at the time, Omaima al-Najjar, described as "unheard of in Saudi schools, where we were not allowed to have an opinion or even question the teacher on any matter that involved religion, culture or politics". Al-Nafjan openly stated her strong opinions in favour of women's rights at the time. Al-Nafjan’s reporters without borders award was received by her student Omaima al-Najjar on her behalf as Al-Nafjan was at prison at the time. [9]

In 2013, al-Nafjan was conducting research aiming to obtain a PhD in linguistics at KSU. [1]

Blogging and activism

In February 2008, al-Nafjan began blogging as 'Saudiwoman', writing about Saudi social and cultural issues with a focus on women. [10] Her blog became one of the most popular Saudi blogs read internationally. Al-Nafjan blogged about topics that were taboo in Saudi Arabia at the time, including criticising male-guardianship as an "abuse system", opposing child marriage and interventions by the religious police, and documenting internet surveillance by Saudi authorities. [9]

On 17 June 2011, she drove a car in Riyadh as part of a women's driving campaign during the 2011 Saudi Arabian protests. [3] She began publishing articles in Western media about the campaign to allow women to drive in Saudi Arabia. [11] In October 2013, al-Nafjan was arrested while filming a woman driving. [12] In September 2016, al-Nafjan signed a petition as part of the campaign against the Saudi male guardianship system. [4] Al-Nafjan was highly active in supporting other activists in the women to drive campaign and in contributing to public debate on the issue. [9]

Detention

Around 15–18 May 2018, al-Nafjan was detained by Saudi authorities, along with Loujain al-Hathloul, Aziza al-Yousef, Aisha al-Mana, Madeha al-Ajroush and two men involved in women's rights campaigning. [13] [14] [15] Human Rights Watch interpreted the purpose of the arrests as frightening "anyone expressing skepticism about the crown prince's rights agenda". [4] Saudi authorities accused the arrested activists of having "suspicious contact with foreign parties", providing financial support to "hostile elements abroad" and recruiting government workers. [16]

In November, 2018, she was apparently being held in the Dhahban Central Prison. [17] According to Amnesty International, the detained women's rights activists including al-Nafjan were subjected to torture and abuse. [18] [19]

In March 2019, al-Nafjan was released on bail along with some of the other crackdown detainees. [6]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's rights in Saudi Arabia</span>

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Al-Ha'ir Prison, also known as al-Hayeral-Hayar or al-Haer, is a Saudi Arabian political, maximum-security, Mabahith-affiliated prison located approximately 25 miles south of Riyadh. It is the largest prison complex in Saudi Arabia and houses both men and women. Facilities include isolation cells, and physical torture rooms. Reportedly, a number of members of al-Qaeda are held there. There is also confirmation of unfavored royal family members being held there which include princess and princes, journalists, business rivals, political rivals, international prisoners or any alleged dissidents or persons deemed worthy of needing be silenced, made an example of, and destroyed psychologically and physically. Many people have been held without charge, have no current, pending, or even past court dates, nor future release date. Past prisoners report being subject to constant psychological, environmental, physical, social and sexual torture. Many noted persons are confirmed to be held there under these conditions and many other individuals suspected to be there, as the Saudi government limits communication for captives and refuse to provide information concerning certain detainees as a policy.

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Samar bint Muhammad Badawi is a Saudi Arabian human rights activist. She and her father filed court cases against each other. Badawi's father accused her of disobedience under the Saudi Arabian male guardianship system and she charged her father with adhl—"making it hard or impossible for a person, especially a woman, to have what she wants, or what's rightfully hers; e.g, her right to marry" according to Islamic jurisprudence—for refusing to allow her to marry. After Badawi missed several trial dates relating to the charge, an arrest warrant was issued for her, and Badawi was imprisoned on 4 April 2010. In July 2010, Jeddah General Court ruled in Samar Badawi's favor, and she was released on 25 October 2010, and her guardianship was transferred to an uncle. There had been a local and international support campaign for her release. The Saudi NGO Human Rights First Society described Badawi's imprisonment as "outrageous illegal detention".

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aziza al-Yousef</span> Saudi human rights activist

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The anti male-guardianship campaign is an ongoing campaign by Saudi women against the requirement to obtain permission from their male guardian for activities such as getting a job, travelling internationally or getting married. Wajeha al-Huwaider deliberately tried to travel internationally without male guardianship permission in 2009 and encouraged other women to do likewise. Women activists wrote a letter to the Saudi Minister of Labor and brought media attention to the issue in 2011. A 14,000-signature petition was given to royal authorities by Aziza al-Yousef in 2016 following a Human Rights Watch report on male guardianship. A crackdown against the activists took place in mid-May 2018, with 13 arrests as of 22 May 2018. Several of the women remained in prison as of December 2018. Some of the women activists were tortured, including supervision by Saud al-Qahtani, a close advisor of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Eman Al Nafjan". Cyberdissidents.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  2. ↑ Davies, Catriona (14 April 2011). "Ten must-read blogs from the Middle East". CNN. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  3. 1 2 Burke, Jason (17 June 2011). "Saudi Arabia women test driving ban". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 20 June 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 "Saudi Arabia: Women's Rights Advocates Arrested — Jumping Ahead of Crown Prince's Reforms Risks Jail Time". Human Rights Watch. 18 May 2018. Archived from the original on 21 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  5. ↑ "Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain Al-Hathloul, Eman Al-Nafjan". PEN America. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  6. 1 2 Michaelson, Ruth (28 March 2019). "Saudi Arabia bails three women on trial for human rights activism". the Guardian. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  7. ↑ Journalists from Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Malta honoured at RSF’s 2019 Press Freedom Awards, 12 September 2019, RWB
  8. ↑ Reporters Without Borders honors journalists who fear for their lives, Deutsche Welle
  9. 1 2 3 al-Najjar, Omaima (10 December 2018). "What it means to be a women's rights activist in Saudi Arabia". Al Jazeera English . Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  10. ↑ "These Saudi Women Have Been Imprisoned For Their Activism". Time. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  11. ↑ "Eman Al Nafjan". the Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  12. ↑ "Saudi Women's Rights Activist Eman al-Nafjan Arrested Ahead of Driving Ban Being Lifted - Fanack.com". Fanack.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  13. ↑ Female activists detained ahead of Saudi driving ban reversal, 20 May, The National
  14. ↑ Saudi Arabia arrests female activists weeks before lifting of driving ban, By Sarah El Sirgany and Hilary Clarke, 21 May 2018, CNN
  15. ↑ "Saudi Arabia 'arrests women's rights activists'". Al Jazeera English. 19 May 2018. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  16. ↑ "Saudis detain women's advocates ahead of driving ban lift". ArabianBusiness.com. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  17. ↑ "Saudi Arabia: Reports of torture and sexual harassment of detained activists". www.amnesty.org. Amnesty International. 20 November 2018. Archived from the original on 13 January 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  18. ↑ Lawler, Opheli Garcia. "Saudi Arabia Accused of Torturing Jailed Women's-Rights Activists". The Cut. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  19. ↑ "Amnesty says Saudi activists beaten, tortured in detention". The Seattle Times. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
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