Human Rights Watch condemns transfer of Saudi women activists for trial

Human Rights Watch of Saudi Arabia has condemned the decision to return Saudi women detained for nearly a year without charge.

The prosecutor in Saudi Arabia said Friday that the activists had been brought to justice at the conclusion of the investigation.

Some detainees say they were "tortured and sexually harassed during interrogation after being arrested last May as part of a crackdown on women activists".

"The Saudi authorities have made no effort to investigate the serious allegations of torture," said Michael Bedge, deputy director of Human Rights Watch for the Middle East.

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"Now women's rights activists, not those who tortured them, are facing criminal charges and trials."

More than a dozen activists were arrested a month before lifting the ban on women driving the car.

Most activists face accusations from most activists, compromising security and helping the state's enemies. Several of them have been released.

Amnesty International said Saudi Arabia's decision was "a shocking indicator of the growing repression of its militants" and demanded "the immediate release of prisoners of conscience".

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Saudi prosecutors have not specified the charges against the activists or the date of their trial.

The announcement, however, suggested that women activists could be released at the trial, after their detention was severely criticized by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

"I have started legal proceedings and I think that will end well," said Ali Shehabi, chairman of the Arab Foundation, a research institution supporting the Saudi government.

"Let's look at the end result and do not anticipate the events."

Aziza al-Yousef, a retired scholar from Riyadh's King Saud University, is one of the activists. Among them is Jane Al-Hathul, who was detained for more than 70 days in 2014 for trying to drive the UAE car to Saudi Arabia.

After their detention, government-backed newspapers published photographs of the detainees, and above them a red line stating that they were homophobic.

According to her family and her advocacy groups, Hahlul is one of the activists who have been victims of torture and sexual harassment during the investigation.

The Saudi government denies the allegations.