Saudi Women Referred to Terrorism Court for Driving

Two women who challenged Saudi Arabia's strict rules about sexuality and gender by defying the kingdom's ban on female drivers have had their cases referred to a court dedicated to cases of terrorism.

The Associated Press reports that the activists, Loujain al-Hathloul and Maysa al-Amoudi, had their cases sent to the terrorism court because of posts they made on social media such as Twitter.

The court is called the Specialized Criminal Court and it is believed that the women's cases were sent to that court in an effort to silence any other women who may have been emboldened by their efforts to drive without a male escort.

Reinforcing this perception is the fact that the two women have been held in prison longer than any other women who have been arrested by the Saudi authorities for driving without a male relative.

The women's high profile on social media is probably also a factor in the case. The AP reports that combined, they have a Twitter audience of more than 355,000 people.

AP reports that this is not the first time that the court has been used for something other than violent terroristic acts. A number of human rights advocates, government critics, and others have also been sentenced to prison time by the Specialized Criminal Court.

The basis of these transfers to the Specialized Criminal Court is a loosely worded law passed in 2007 that was intended to punish people who carry out cyber attacks and other digital crimes, according to the AP.

AP notes that there is no specific law that makes it illegal for women to drive, but the Saudi government does not issue women drivers' licenses, and powerful clerics with large audiences have disparaged the idea of women driving.