Saudis Release Driving Activist Loujain al-Hathloul with DC Nudge from Biden

Friends of imprisoned Saudi driving activist Loujain al-Hathloul made a photo to parody a June 2018 Vogue Arabia cover image showing Saudi princess HRH Princess Hayfa bint Abdullah Al Saud on its cover.

An artist, mother of three and the daughter of the late King Abdullah, who was the ruler of Saudi from 2005 until his death in 2015, the princess sits behind the wheel of a vintage red 1980s Mercedes 450 SL, making it clear that she will join the new movement of Saudi women drivers.

The cover design, shot by Boo George, was meant to celebrate the end of the Saudi kingdom's ban on women driving that took effect on June 24, 2018, applying to women of all nationalities.

AOC continued our policy of challenging women’s rights in the Arab world — just as we challenge them here in America and for the last four years as the Republican War on Women went into high gear under Trump — I’m proud to say that AOC’s headline around the cover story was: Will Vogue Arabia's June 2018 Celebration Of Saudi Women Speak To Current Arrests & Imprisonment Of Saudi Women Who Led Driving Campaign?

Pictured above in ‘Free Loujain’ tees are Ayendri Ishani Ridell, Urooba Jamal, Narissa Diwan, Atiya Jaffar and Rauza Khan mocking the Vogue Arabia cover on behalf of their friend. More than once I’ve asked if Vogue Arabia will ever speak to the imprisonment of Loujain al-Hathloul, who "took a huge risk to advance women's rights in her country," Jamal says, "and now is facing the most heinous injustices."

The answer is “no”, and we will be shocked if they speak to her release.

Saudi Driving Activist Loujain al-Hathloul Released from Saudi Prison

Saudi leaders had a particularly cozy relationship with the Trump administration, and would never have released al-Hathloul had Americans re-elected Donald Trump. Sending a clear signal that it intends to seriously reconsider its relationship with Saudi Arabia, the Biden Administration made it clear even during the campaign that it would emphasize democracy and human rights — a topic totally missing from the Trump Administration.

Already the Biden administration has frozen some Saudi arms sales and reversed the Trump administration’s designation of the Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a terrorist organization. In December Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan called Loujain al-Hathloul’s imprisonment “unjust and troubling.”

Mr. Sullivan wrote that he was “pleased” by the driving activist’s release, adding “This is a good thing.”

Al-Hathloul was put on trial in December after Biden’s election and officials indicated that they were paving the way for her release. A judge sentenced her to five years and eight months in prison but then suspended two years and 10 months of her sentence, while also giving her credit for time served. This math calculation led to her release today.