Loujain al-Hathloul facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Loujain al-Hathloul
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| لجين الهذلول | |
Al-Hathloul in 2016
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| Born | 31 July 1989 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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| Alma mater | University of British Columbia |
| Known for | Defying female driving ban in Saudi Arabia |
| Spouse(s) |
Fahad Albutairi
(m. 2014; div. 2019) |
| Family | Lina al-Hathloul (sister) |
| Awards | Václav Havel Human Rights Prize (2020) |
Loujain al-Hathloul (Arabic: لجين الهذلول Lujjayn al-Hadhlūl; born 31 July 1989) is a brave Saudi women's rights activist. She is known for speaking up and working to improve rights for women in Saudi Arabia. She became famous for challenging the rule that prevented women from driving. Because of her activism, she was arrested several times.
In May 2018, she and other women's rights activists were taken to Saudi Arabia. They were accused of trying to cause problems for the country. For her important work, Loujain al-Hathloul received the 2019 PEN America /Barbey Freedom to Write Award and the 2020 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. She was also named one of Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People of 2019." She was released from prison on 10 February 2021. However, she is not allowed to travel outside Saudi Arabia.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Loujain al-Hathloul studied at the University of British Columbia. This is a university located in Canada.
Fighting for Women's Rights (2014–2017)
Loujain al-Hathloul is well-known for her part in the Women to drive movement. She also worked to change the male guardianship system in Saudi Arabia. This system meant that women needed permission from a male family member for many things.
Challenging the Driving Ban
On 1 December 2014, Loujain was arrested. She was held for 73 days. This happened after she tried to drive her car from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) into Saudi Arabia. She had a driver's license from the UAE. But Saudi police still arrested her because women were not allowed to drive there at the time.
Trying to Vote
In December 2015, Loujain al-Hathloul tried to run in the 2015 Saudi Arabian municipal elections. This was the first time women were allowed to vote in Saudi Arabia. However, she was not allowed to participate in the election.
Speaking Out Against Guardianship
In September 2016, Loujain and 14,000 other people signed a petition. They asked King Salman to end the male guardianship system. On 4 June 2017, she was arrested again at King Fahd International Airport. The reason for her arrest was not officially shared. She was not allowed to see a lawyer or talk to her family. Amnesty International believed it was because of her human rights work.
Phone Hacking Incident
In 2017, Loujain al-Hathloul's iPhone was hacked. This was part of a secret program that watched people who spoke out against the government. Her phone was targeted because of her activism.
Detention and Advocacy (2018–2021)
Loujain al-Hathloul was taken from the UAE in March 2018. She was then arrested in Saudi Arabia. After a few days, she was released but was not allowed to travel.
Arrests of Activists
On 15 May 2018, Loujain was arrested again. Several other women's rights activists were also detained. This happened just before Saudi Arabia announced that women would be allowed to drive. Many believed the arrests were meant to silence activists.
Conditions in Prison
Loujain al-Hathloul and other women activists faced very difficult conditions in prison. Human rights groups reported that they were treated harshly. Loujain's family shared that she was not well during their visits. She was held in different prisons, including Dhahban Central Prison and al-Ha'ir Prison.
Trial and International Calls for Release
On 1 March 2019, Saudi officials announced that Loujain and other activists would be tried in court. The trial began on 13 March 2019. However, reporters and diplomats were not allowed to attend. The specific charges against her were not made public.
In May 2020, her trial was put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This raised worries about her health in prison. Loujain went on hunger strikes to demand contact with her family.
Many countries and organizations called for her release. On 15 September 2020, about 30 countries asked Saudi Arabia to free Loujain and other women activists. On 8 October 2020, the European Parliament also called for her release. They urged European Union countries to reduce their presence at the 2020 G20 Riyadh summit.
Sentence and Release
Loujain al-Hathloul started another hunger strike in October 2020. She wanted regular contact with her family. On 25 November 2020, she was moved to a special court for terrorism and national security crimes. Her sister worried that Loujain was being pressured to make false statements.
On 28 December 2020, Loujain was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison. However, on 10 February 2021, her sister announced on Twitter that Loujain had been released from prison.
On 10 March 2021, a court in Riyadh confirmed her sentence. She is still under many restrictions, including a five-year travel ban.
Further Legal Actions
In 2021, Loujain gave her iPhone to experts for examination. They found that it had been hacked with spyware. This led to Apple warning many of its users about similar attacks.
In December 2021, Loujain al-Hathloul and the Electronic Frontier Foundation decided to sue three former American intelligence officers. She accused them of hacking her devices. This hacking led to her being taken from the UAE and sent back to Saudi Arabia. The officers had already admitted to providing hacking services to the UAE in another case.
Recognition and Awards
Loujain al-Hathloul has received many honors for her work.
- In 2017, she was named one of the BBC's 100 women.
- She was ranked third in the "Top 100 Most Powerful Arab Women 2015" list.
- In March 2019, she received the 2019 PEN America/Barbey Freedom to Write Award.
- She was named one of Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People of 2019."
- Loujain was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in both 2019 and 2020.
- In April 2021, she won the 2020 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.
A children's book called Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers: A Story Inspired by Loujain Alhathloul was published in 2022. It was written by Lina Alhathloul and Uma Mishra-Newbery.
See also
In Spanish: Loujain Alhathloul para niños
