On 10 March, the Specialized Criminal Court in Saudi Arabia upheld the conviction of Saudi woman human rights defender Loujain al-Hathloul, confirming a sentence of five years and eight months with conditional release. Loujain al-Hathloul had appealed the sentence handed down to her on 28 December 2020, which was based on charges including “spying with foreign parties” and “conspiring against the Kingdom”, effectively criminalizing her work promoting women’s rights and advocating for the end of the male guardianship system in Saudi Arabia.
