Five activists, including a female rights defender, could reportedly face the death penalty in Saudi Arabia on charges related to their work.
Human Rights Watch said Saudi Arabia's Public Prosecution has accused them of several charges, including "participating in protests" and “chanting slogans hostile to the regime” in the restive Qatif region.
If convicted, Israa al-Ghomgham is believed to be the first woman activist to face the death penalty in the country.
“Any execution is appalling, but seeking the death penalty for activists like Israa al-Ghomgham, who are not even accused of violent behavior, is monstrous,” Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said in an online statement.
“Every day, the Saudi monarchy’s unrestrained despotism makes it harder for its public relations teams to spin the fairy tale of ‘reform’ to allies and international business.”
My next court session is scheduled for 28/10/18. One of the charges against me is that I started a Youtube channel! This is not a crime! If I am sentenced to death, this will be a precedent and I will be the first female activist in Saudi history to be beheaded. pic.twitter.com/M4lionTSQm — #IsraaAlGhomgham #إسراء_الغمغام (@IsraaAlGhomgham) August 21, 2018
Human Rights Watch said the case "sets a dangerous precedent for other women activists currently behind bars".
It said Ms Al-Ghomgham is a Shia activist well known for participating in and documenting mass demonstrations in the Eastern Province that began in early 2011, calling for "an end to the systematic discrimination that Saudi Shia citizens face in the majority-Sunni country".
She was reportedly arrested alongside her husband in a night raid on their home in December 2015 and have been held in Dammam’s al-Mabahith prison ever since.
The Saudi government has so far not commented on Ms Al-Ghomgham's trial.
A recent crackdown on rights advocates has seen a number of women arrested in Saudi Arabia this year, including for driving before the country's ban on female drivers was lifted.
While some have since been released, others remain detained without charge.
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