The incoming national security adviser for President-elect Joseph R. Biden on Monday blasted a recent ruling in Saudi Arabia of journalist Loujain al-Hathloul as “unjust and troubling.”
Ms. al-Hathloul, a well-known women’s rights activist, was sentenced Monday to nearly six year in prison under a vaguely-worded counterterrorism law in Saudi Arabia.
She was charged with agitating for change, pursuing a foreign agenda, using the internet to harm public order and cooperating with individuals and entities that have committed crimes under anti-terror laws, according to the Associated Press.
Jake Sullivan, Mr. Biden’s incoming national security adviser, tweeted Monday that Ms. al-Hathloul’s sentencing for “simply exercising her universal rights is unjust and troubling.”
“As we have said, the Biden-Harris administration will stand up against human rights violations wherever they occur,” he continued.
Ms. al-Hathloul could be released as early as March 2021 due to time already served, Saudi political rights group “Prisoners of Conscience” predicted. She has been imprisoned since May 2018.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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