Saudi Arabia's most prominent women's rights activist released from prison, family says

Saphora Smith and Yasmine Salam 1 hr ago

One of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent women’s rights activists was released from prison after some 1,000 days in detention and amid persistent international pressure for her to be released, her family tweeted Wednesday.

"The best day of my life, Loujain is at my parent's home," tweeted Alia al-Hathloul, Loujain's elder sister.

"Loujain is at home," tweeted another sister, Lina.

Loujain al-Hathloul was arrested in May 2018 along with several other female activists, after making a name for herself as one of the few women to openly call for women’s right to drive in the deeply conservative kingdom. She also called for an end to Saudi Arabia’s restrictive male guardianship system that had long limited women’s freedom of movement.

Saudi Arabian official did not announce Al-Hathloul's release but her family's announcements come weeks after a Saudi judge sentenced her to five years and eight months in prison on December 28, according to a spokesperson for the country's Ministry of Media who spoke to NBC News at the time. Two years and 10 months of her sentence was suspended and the sentence was backdated to May 2018, the spokesperson added.

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