Bissan Fakih was inspired to become an activist after the 2011 Arab uprisings.
Now, Bissan is part of the team fighting for the release of Manahel al-Otaibi. Currently serving a sentence.
In this article, Bisan shares the shock she felt when she first read about Manaher’s case and her case file, how Amnesty International supported her family, and continues to work with Amnesty International at What it’s like to work in an office in Beirut, the bombed city…
I remember sitting in front of Manaher Otaibi’s court documents and couldn’t believe what I was reading. The charges against her include “sharing multiple objectionable hashtags” [government] regulations,” such as #DownWithMaleGuardianship, and posting photos and videos on social media wearing “immodest” clothing. I kept walking to the desk of my colleague Dana, a seasoned Saudi Arabic researchers to make sure I didn’t misunderstand.
Is this it? real What did they charge her? As a fitness influencer and coach, Manahel has built her online presence around positivity—using fitness to manage chronic muscle disease, travel, and connect with people across cultures. But she also wrote from the heart about women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. Manaher was early optimistic about Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s commitment to reform. In a 2019 interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle TV, she described “fundamental changes” taking place in the kingdom, including dress code reforms, and said she was free to express her views and wear what she wanted . However, she was arrested on November 16, 2022 for exercising these freedoms. Her social media posts defending women’s rights, including photos of her walking through a mall wearing a T-shirt and overalls, made her a target of Saudi Arabian authorities.
When Amnesty International began investigating the case in February, Manaher had been forcibly missing for more than three months. Her sister Fozzie was distraught. She told us the family called the prison and every government office they could think of, but no one told them where Manaher was. She told us she just wanted someone to check if her sister was still alive. A few weeks after Amnesty International’s campaign began, Manaher was finally able to contact her family. She told them she had been beaten in detention and placed in solitary confinement.
This contact with her was a small step forward, something that could continue to develop. Amnesty International, along with her sister Fouzi and Saudi activists, believe publicizing Manaher’s case around the world could pressure Saudi authorities to release her. This year she took part in Amnesty International’s annual event Write for Rights, so we know her story will reach millions of people around the world.
A burden that no one should bear
We have been working closely with Foz to prepare for this event. Folds carries a burden that no one should have to bear. Not only was her sister unfairly sentenced to 11 years in prison, but her other sister Mariam, a well-known defender of women’s rights, was also subject to a travel ban and trumped-up charges. Foz was worried that Mariam could be arrested at any time. In addition, Fouzi herself is being pursued by the Saudi Arabian judiciary and may be arrested if she returns to Saudi Arabia from her place of residence abroad. In court documents I reviewed for Manaher, prosecutors accused Fouzi of “leading a propaganda campaign to incite Saudi girls to denounce religious principles and rebel against customs and traditions,” noting that she used hashtags such as #Society_Is_Ready to “promote liberation and the downfall of “male guardianship.”
Whenever there is an event in Saudi Arabia, whether it is a major sporting event or a celebrity-filled concert, I think of the Al-Otaibi sisters. These incidents have contributed to the Saudi authorities’ deliberate efforts to divert the world’s attention from human rights violations, a practice often referred to as the “sports shuffle” or “entertainment shuffle.” For the families of many of those unjustly detained in Saudi Arabia, these events sweep away human rights abuses and reduce international pressure on Saudi authorities to release their loved ones and adopt real reforms.
But I believe in the power of collective action to challenge this. I think about how international pressure has led to the release of activists like Loujain Hasloul and others who were sentenced to shorter sentences or spared the death penalty thanks to tireless efforts from around the world, including by members of Amnesty International. Amnesty International members around the world have rallied in incredible ways to draw attention to Manaher’s case. In Austria, Amnesty International activists held a “Fitness for Freedom” protest, with fitness instructors offering classes outside the Saudi Embassy. In Oslo, students ran from the law school to the Saudi Embassy with banners and photos of Manaher before gathering to discuss her case and sign petitions. In the United States, colleagues successfully lobbied members of Congress to advocate for Manaher’s case.
global family
Amnesty International’s Saudi Arabia team acts as a bridge between Fouzi and the wider Amnesty International movement. Our headquarters are in Beirut, one of Amnesty International’s regional offices. Since the war between Hezbollah and Israel escalated in late September, we have had to deal with near-constant Israeli air strikes on our cities. This is a devastating, horrific moment. For many days, I sat at my desk, bracing myself for impact as a bomb whizzed by. For weeks, bombs shook my building and my heart. Colleagues from abroad are often surprised that our team is still working. But we have to take a deep breath and keep going. We are committed to campaigning with people like Fouts. I often find comfort in knowing that I am serving a movement larger than myself.
I live in Beirut. This is a devastating, horrific moment. For weeks, bombs shook my building and my heart.
Bisan Fakih
In a recent conference call with Amnesty International colleagues from around the world, including Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Taiwan and the United States, colleagues briefed Fouzi on the actions they planned to take for her sister. They shared creative strategies — murals, fitness protests, public gatherings. Foz told them it made her feel like she had a global family supporting her.
Manaher’s case is slowly but surely gaining worldwide attention, which we hope will lead to her release. Female footballers have written to FIFA calling on them to sever ties with Saudi Aramco, which is largely owned by the Saudi Arabian government, while highlighting Manaher and others who have been jailed in Saudi Arabia for promoting women’s rights. Stories of people unjustly detained. Manaher’s story has also attracted global media attention, with The New York Times and The Guardian highlighting how Saudi authorities punish women like Manaher for speaking out about women’s rights.
Our team talks to Fouts almost every day. I thanked her for her faith in us, and I assured her that we would not rest until Manacher was free. If you’re reading this, you can be part of that commitment. Join a letter writing campaign, attend an event or just share Manaher’s story. Every action helps amplify our voices and ensure we don’t let the world forget her name. We will not stop until Manaher Otaibi is free.
