Madeha al-Ajroush is a

Saudi Arabian Saudis ( ar, سعوديون, Suʿūdiyyūn) are people identified with the country of Saudi Arabia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. The Saudis are composed mainly of Arabs and primarily speak a regional dialect ...

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

activist, psychologist and photographer. She was detained by Saudi authorities in May 2018 along with Loujain al-Hathloul and five others.

Women's rights activism

In 1990, al-Ajroush took part in the first protests by Saudi women against the ban on women driving. As a result of these actions, al-Ajroush was detained and lost her job and passport. With the first Gulf War taking place in neighbouring Kuwait, "Seeing female U.S. soldiers stationed in Saudi Arabia driving gave the women the push they needed to act". As an additional punishment for this action, photographic negatives created by al-Ajroush over 15 years were burned by Saudi authorities. In 2013, al-Ajroush told The Telegraph, '"Back in 1990 I was absolutely terrified," she said. "And there was no social media to highlight what we were doing and protect us."' Around 15–18 May 2018, she was detained by Saudi authorities, along with Loujain al-Hathloul, Iman al-Nafjan,

Aziza al-Yousef Aziza al-Yousef is a Saudi Arabian women's rights activist and academic. She was detained by Saudi authorities in May 2018 along with Loujain al-Hathloul and five others. As of November, 2018, she was apparently being held in the Dhahban Centr ...

, Aisha al-Mana and two men involved in women's rights campaigning.

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...

interpreted the purpose of the arrests as frightening "anyone expressing skepticism about the crown prince's rights agenda". Saudi authorities accused the arrested activists of having "suspicious contact with foreign parties", providing financial support to "hostile elements abroad" and recruiting government workers. According to The Independent, the arrests came "just six weeks before Saudi Arabia is due to lift the world’s only ban on women driving." Madeha al-Ajroush and Aisha al-Mana were released after a few days, while the others remained under arrest.Saudi Arabia releases 3 women as other activists still held
May 24, 2018 ABC news

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ajroush, Madeha Living people People from Riyadh Year of birth missing (living people) People of the 2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests Saudi Arabian dissidents Saudi Arabian feminists Women's rights in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian women's rights activists Saudi Arabian psychologists