https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/loujain-al-hathloul-saudi-women-s-rights-campaigner-has-case-n1249094One of Saudi Arabia's most prominent women's rights campaigners, Loujain al-Hathloul, shook uncontrollably and spoke in an uncharacteristically faint voice during a rare court appearance this week, a family member told NBC News on Thursday.
Loujain al-Hathloul's sister, Lina al-Hathloul, told NBC News by telephone from Berlin that the siblings' parents had witnessed the hearing in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday.
Loujain, 31, was told during the hearing that her case would be transferred to the country's Specialized Criminal Court, which deals with terrorism cases, Lina said. It was her sister's first court appearance since March last year, she added.
Lynn Maalouf, deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at London-based rights campaigner Amnesty International, called the court transfer "a disturbing move." The Specialized Criminal Court was "notorious for issuing lengthy prison sentences following seriously flawed trials," she said in a statement.
