Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Tom Levitt and Deepa Parent

Saudi fitness instructor stabbed in face while jailed over women’s rights posts

An Arab woman with her head uncovered walking down a street in a T-shirt and dungarees while listening to earphones
Manahel al-Otaibi, 30, a fitness instructor and activist, seen without an abaya robe in Riyadh in 2019. Otaibi has since been jailed and a sister fled to Bahrain. Photograph: F Nureldine/AFP/Getty

A Saudi Arabian fitness instructor and influencer has been stabbed in the face in prison after being jailed in January for promoting women’s rights on social media.

Manahel al-Otaibi, 30, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for “terrorist offences” in a secret trial that generated widespread criticism, with activists saying it showed the “hollowness” of Saudi progress in human rights.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.