(MENAFN) More three women's rights activists have been arrested by Saudi authorities, weeks before it lifts a driving ban against women, Press TV reported.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said Tuesday that the total number of detainees now stands at 10 with the latest arrests, while the Lebanon-based Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR) put the number at 12.
The arrest of seven people was reported by Saudi officials over the weekend, with rights groups mostly identifying them as women who have long campaigned for the right to drive and to end a system which conditions women's freedom to decisions made by their "male guardians."
"Despite international outcry and calls for the release of these activists, they still remain detained for their peaceful human rights work," said Samah Hadid, the Amnesty's Middle East director of campaigns.
"Saudi Arabian authorities cannot continue to publicly state they are dedicated to reform while treating women"s rights campaigners in this cruel way," she added.
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