Lina Al-Hathloul, the sister of recently released Saudi activist Loujain Al-Hathloul, expressed her gratitude to President Joe Biden for his praise regarding her sister's release from prison.
In a message to President Biden via her personal Twitter account, Lina wrote, "Mr. President, thank you! But Loujain is not free." She explained that her sister and other family members are banned from traveling, and her trial is still ongoing. She added, "It is not a victory yet."
Biden had told reporters at the U.S. Department of Defense, "I have some welcome news that the Saudi government has released a prominent human rights figure, Loujain Al-Hathloul - excuse me, Al-Hathloul from prison. She was a strong advocate for women's rights, and her release was the right thing to do."
Loujain Al-Hathloul, 31, was arrested in May 2018 as part of a campaign targeting well-known opponents of the kingdom's law that has since been revoked, which banned women from driving. In December, the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh - the terrorism court - sentenced Al-Hathloul to five years and eight months in prison, including a two-year and ten-month suspended sentence, according to a statement released by her family at the time. Given the time she had already spent in detention, the sentence paved the way for her release on Wednesday.
In the same month, Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan commented on Al-Hathloul's sentence, stating, "The sentencing of Loujain Al-Hathloul for simply exercising her universal rights is unjust and concerning. As we have said, the Biden/Harris administration will stand against human rights violations wherever they occur." On Wednesday, Sullivan described Al-Hathloul's release as "a good thing," as he tweeted. The Saudi authorities had sentenced Al-Hathloul to five years and eight months in prison, with a two-year and ten-month suspension.
