Aziza al-Yousef
Saudi human rights activist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aziza al-Yousef is a Saudi Arabian women's rights activist and academic.[3] She was detained by Saudi authorities in May 2018 along with Loujain al-Hathloul and five others.[4]
As of November 2018[update], she was apparently being held in the Dhahban Central Prison.[5] In late March 2019, the women presented their defence and described enduring physical and sexual abuse in captivity. Aziza al-Yousef, together with Eman al-Nafjan and Dr Rokaya Mohareb were released on bail.[6]
Biography
Al-Yousef studied briefly at King Saud University as a teenager before moving to the United States to study at Virginia Commonwealth University. She completed her master's degree back at King Saud University.[7]
Al-Yousef taught computer science at King Saud University for 28 years before retiring.[8]
In 2013, al-Yousef was arrested along with fellow activist Eman al-Nafjan for driving through Riyadh by themselves. They were forced to sign a pledge that they would not drive again.[9] In 2013, al-Youssef launched a global awareness campaign following the rape of a 5-year girl by her father, a Saudi cleric.[8]
In 2016, she helped to lead a campaign against the male guardianship system in Saudi Arabia.[2] She "attempted to deliver to the Royal Advisory Council a 14,700-signature petition seeking to abolish the guardianship regulations but she was rebuffed and told to mail it."[7]
Around 15–18 May 2018, al-Yousef was detained by Saudi authorities, along with Loujain al-Hathloul, Iman al-Nafjan, Aisha Almane, Madeha al-Ajroush and two men involved in women's rights campaigning.[10][11][12] 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.[13]
In 2019, it was reported that the Saudi authorities had detained her son, Salah al-Haidar.[14][15]
