[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S628-S629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IMPRISONMENT OF LOUJAIN AL-HATHLOUL

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I have spoken repeatedly about the unlawful 
imprisonment and abuse of human rights activists by the Saudi 
Government, which continue despite promises of reform by Crown Prince 
Mohammed bin Salman. In fact, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the 
botched coverup and sham investigation, and the ongoing, systematic 
repression of Saudi activists have only served to confirm what we 
already knew, which is that the Crown Prince is no reformer but, 
instead, a ruthless autocrat intimidated by non-violent dissent from 
his own people.
  One such activist being unlawfully detained by the Saudi royal 
family--which for all intents and purposes is the government--is 
Loujain al-Hathloul, a prominent and outspoken women's rights defender 
known for her activism against the women's driving ban and the male 
guardianship system. In 2014, Ms. al-Hathloul, who had a driver's 
license from the United Arab Emirates, UAE, was detained for 73 days 
after attempting to drive into Saudi Arabia from the UAE.
  She was arrested again in May 2018 along with several other women's 
rights activists, weeks before the Saudi Government lifted the ban on 
female drivers. She was detained and forcibly deported via private 
Saudi jet from the UAE and remains in a Saudi prison today. According 
to Ms. al-Hathloul's family and several human rights organizations, she 
has been tortured, sexually harassed, and threatened with rape and 
murder by Saudi officials.
  For the first 10 months of her detention, Ms. al-Hathloul was held 
without charges or trial and for the first 3 months, without access to 
her family or lawyer. In her first trial session on March 13, 2019, she 
was charged with promoting women's rights; calling for an end to the 
male guardianship system; and contacting international organizations, 
foreign media, and other activists. It is hard to believe that in the 
year 2020, advocacy that has been protected under international law for 
nearly half a century is grounds for imprisonment and prosecution in 
Saudi Arabia, a country whose leaders enjoy the best of what oil 
revenues can buy while subjecting their critics to treatment 
reminiscent of the 1800s.
  Imprisoned, tortured, and charged with multiple ``crimes,'' Ms. al-
Hathloul's last court appearance was on April 3, 2019, more than 250 
days ago. She remains in prison without any information regarding when 
her next court session will take place. The right of due process simply 
does not exist in Saudi Arabia.
  This is typical of how Saudi Arabia treats those who dare to exercise 
their rights to free expression, association, and assembly. We should 
all be outraged, and in fact Republicans and Democrats in Congress as 
well as dozens of foreign governments have called for Ms. al-Hathloul's 
release and the release of others facing politically motivated charges 
in Saudi Arabia. Until there are consequences for these violations of 
human rights and misuse of the judicial process, nothing will change.
  Fortunately, our hands are not tied. The United States can do more 
than simply call for Ms. al-Hathloul's release. Section 7031(c) of 
division G of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, which 
applies to all foreign countries, states that ``[o]fficials of foreign 
governments and their immediate family members about whom the Secretary 
of State has credible information have been involved, directly or 
indirectly, in . . . a gross violation of human rights shall be 
ineligible for entry into the United States.''
  Secretary of State Pompeo unquestionably has such information. Ms. 
al-Hathloul's prolonged, arbitrary detention and abuse in custody are 
gross violations of human rights. Secretary Pompeo should apply section 
7031(c) and immediately impose visa restrictions on all Saudi 
Government officials involved, directly or indirectly, in her detention 
and abuse. That is our law.
  It is as ironic as it is unconscionable that the Crown Prince has 
been praised for ending the ban on a woman's ability to drive a car in 
Saudi Arabia, at the same time that his government is unjustly and 
cruelly imprisoning a courageous woman for advocating for that

[[Page S629]]

very right. The Trump administration should apply the law as required 
in this case.

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