Saudi Arabia placing women in ‘rehabilitation jails’

Saudi Arabia is placing women accused of being disobedient in care facilities with prison-like conditions to "rehabilitate" them, according to women who have spoken out about their experiences.

The facilities, described as "care home" or Dar al-Reaya, see women subjected to weekly flogging, forced religious teachings, and barred from contact with the outside world, according to testimonies given to The Guardian.

The publication reported that the conditions are said to be so bad that several women have attempted suicide, and that women are unable to leave unless their families give permission, leaving many stuck for years.

Campaigner Sarah al-Yahia told The Guardian that her father threatened to send her to a Dar al-Reaya if she fought against his sexual abuse.

She added that many women she spoke to described being subjected to strip searches and virginity tests on arrival, and being given sedatives to sleep. She described the care home as "a prison", and said that a numbers system is used to refer to the women.

"When one of the girls shared her family name, she got lashes. If she doesn’t pray, she gets lashes. If she is found alone with another woman, she gets lashes and is accused of being a lesbian. The guards gather and watch when the girls are being lashed," she told The Guardian.

Saudi officials have described these institutions as care homes that provide "shelter for girls accused or convicted of crimes", and are used for rehabilitation with the help of psychiatrists.

A Saudi spokesperson told the publication that the facilities are there to support vulnerable women and children and rejected the accusations.

However, one woman named Layla said that she was sent to a Dar al-Reaya after she complained about her abuse by male members of her family to the police, and wrote about women's rights on social media.

The ALQST, a Saudi human rights organisation based in the UK, told The Guardian that the facilities are used as tools to enforce gender norms in the country, and run counter to the progressive narrative of the Saudi government.

Saudi Arabia has been undergoing a series of social and economic reforms under its Vision 2030 initiative led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

ALQST campaigns officer Nadyeen Abdulaziz told The Guardian that "if they are serious about advancing women's rights, they must abolish these discriminatory practices and allow the establishment of genuine shelters that protect, rather than punish, those who have experienced abuse".

Human rights groups have long critised Saudi Arabia for its repression of women in the country despite the reforms, with Amnesty International slamming the country in February for disappearance of Manahel al-Otaibi while serving an 11-year prison sentence for promoting women’s rights in the country.

The organisation says the sentence is part of a broader crackdown on free speech, which has seen many sentenced for advocating for human rights on social media.