Criminal Court Decision on Torture

Following the decision by the criminal court on 22 December 2020 denying the the torture after a fake investigation, the family and supporters of Loujain have decided to publish Loujain’s response and attached documents proving that the investigation by the criminal court is merely a cover up.

Here is the main evidence:

1. Loujain and her legal representatives (our parents) have asked for an investigation more than 5 times since the end of 2018. The Court opened an “investigation” 2 years and a half later.

2. After Loujain’s demands for an investigation, the public prosecution denied the torture without any official investigation on their part.

3. Loujain’s first official call (from the official prison) was after 7 weeks after her arrest (in May 2018). The significance of this is that legally Loujain has to be allowed to call after being detained. She only called 7 weeks after her arrest in May 2018. During those 7 weeks, Loujain was held in the unofficial prison (whose presence have been well documented by international organisations) and was being tortured during this time. eg - document with timeline of official calls.

9 February 2021 Update

Loujain’s parents were called to the criminal court for a hearing regarding the torture investigation appeal. Loujain and her parents received the decision of the court of appeals regarding Loujain's appeal to the criminal court on her torture in the secret prison.

Here are the main findings:

1. The court of appeals supported the decision of the criminal court and the judge's rationale for his support of the criminal court decision was that the Burden of Proof is on Loujain.

2. Loujain had previously asked for the camera recordings, the official logs of the calls and their location to prove she was in a secret prison the first month of her arrest, as well as more than five official requests to different government entities of which she asked to initiate an investigation into torture in the secret prison. These government entities include the Public Prosecutor Office, The Ministry of Justice, The Supreme Judicial Council of Saudi Arabia, The Saudi Human Rights Commission, and the National Society for Human Rights.

3. These requests started as early as December 2018, yet neither Loujain nor her legal representatives received any reply.

3 March 2021 Update

Loujain has filed an objection with the Supreme Court in regards to the denial of her appeal for the torture investigation.