Fearing that their identities would be revealed, the group of Saudi women, who arrived in Australia to seek asylum, held a 'masked' protest on Friday close to the building where the office of Saudi Consulate is located.
They were protesting to demand the release of at least 10 female rights activists, who went on trial in the Kingdom last week accused of undermining national security.
The trial opened in Riyadh's criminal court after they were detained in 2018 as part of a sweeping crackdown on activists, legal authorities said.
Saudi refugee Sandy*, who is currently on a bridging visa, told SBS Arabic24 that the protest offered her the opportunity to express the repression felt by women in the Kingdom.
"We hope the repression will stop. We want equality between men and women. We demand the downfall of MBS [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman]. We demand the downfall of the criminal who killed the men and raped the women, who oppressed the thinkers and doctors. We want his downfall," she said.
"We are the citizens. We’re going to stay and the land is ours. I say to the Saudi [royal] family, you are finished whether you like it or not."
Fellow Saudi refugee Rana* said the group was peacefully protesting to "condemn the imprisonment of women’s rights activists".
"We demand the Saudi government to free prisoners of conscience, end the male guardianship and stop torturing female activists. We demand change," she said.
According to the Human Rights Watch, the activists on trial have been charged following contact with foreign media and activists.
"After nearly a year of accusations... that these brave champions of women's rights are 'foreign agents', the actual charges against them appear to be simply a list of their efforts to promote women's rights," HRW's Middle East deputy director Michael Page told AFP.
"This is hardly the act of a government that is carrying out reforms, as (Crown Prince) Mohammed bin Salman and his supporters keep claiming."
HRW and Amnesty International put the number of women facing trial at 11. Some of them have allegedly faced torture and sexual harassment during interrogation in detention.
The Sydney protest also drew non-Saudis, including Welma* who said Australian women should feel compelled to assist women in Saudi Arabia.
"I’m not an activist and I’ve never been to a protest before in my life. I really believe that Australian women who are asking for equal rights all the time can’t even be bothered to try and help people that actually want to drive a car or travel by themselves," she said.
"They should let real refugees in and these women are real refugees."
Protester Karima said the asylum seekers protesting in Sydney continue to face an uncertain future.
"Today we have seen some women who have come here to Australia to seek freedom security and a new life," she said.
"For them, it’s dangerous to be back in Saudi Arabia and I’m asking the Australian government to quickly fast-track their protection visas because until they get those visas, they’re neither safe nor secure. They can’t be who they are, they cannot be free.
Some of the activists on trial in the Kingdom appealed for bail in their first court appearance, family members told AFP.
The women were initially expected to appear in a court set up to handle terrorism-related cases.
But just hours before their appearance, some relatives said they were informed the trial had been shifted to the criminal court, without being told why.
The sudden change was highly uncommon and indicated "political influence over the court proceedings", HRW said.
-With AFP
*Not their real names.
