There are calls from a former worldwide improvement secretary for Liz Truss to intervene after a pupil at Leeds University was imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for 34 years for utilizing Twitter.
Human rights activist Salma al Shehab was given the sentence for following activists and dissidents on Twitter.
Ms al Shehab, a 34-year-old Saudi nationwide and mother-of-two, had been learning for a PhD on the School of Medicine on the University of Leeds.
Hilary Benn, MP for Leeds Central and former worldwide improvement secretary beneath Tony Blair, despatched a letter to the present overseas secretary asking for help.
He wrote to Ms Truss: “Ms al Shehab has two younger sons and a husband, and I’m certain you’ll agree with me that that is a fully stunning sentence which is totally at odds with Saudi Arabia’s claims to be enhancing human rights, specifically for ladies.
“I would be very grateful if you could make representations to the Saudi authorities on behalf of Ms al Shehab so that she can be freed to return to her family and to her studies at the University of Leeds.”
Ms al Shehab was initially arrested in January 2021 whereas on vacation.
She was initially sentenced to a few years in jail for utilizing the web to “cause public unrest and destabilise civil and national security” – however was given the brand new sentence on 15 August after an appeals court docket was requested to think about different alleged crimes.
A spokesperson for the University of Leeds stated: “We are deeply involved to study of this current improvement in Salma’s case and we’re looking for recommendation on whether or not there may be something we will do to help her.
“Our thoughts remain with Salma, her family, and her friends among our close-knit community of postgraduate researchers.”
It is known that ministers and senior officers have repeatedly raised issues over the detention of ladies’s rights defenders with the Saudi authorities and can proceed to take action.
Speaking earlier this 12 months earlier than the management race began, Ms Truss declined to criticise Saudi Arabia’s human rights document, and stated the nation is an “important partner of the United Kingdom”.
Source: information.sky.com”