Two Saudi women who were detained
for defying the kingdom's ban on female drivers have been freed after
more than 70 days in custody, reports say.
Loujain al-Hathloul,
25, was arrested while campaigning for the ban to be eased. Her friend
Maysa al-Amoudi, 33, was detained when she went to help her.
Concerns for the women were heightened after reports that their case was being transferred to a terrorism court.
Saudi Arabia is the world's only country to forbid women from driving.
While
it is not technically illegal for women to drive, only men are awarded
driving licences - and women who drive in public risk being fined and
arrested by the police.
Saudi women have launched a series of campaigns - including on social media - to demand an easing of the restrictions.
Under Saudi rules, women must be consigned to the passenger seat
Ms Hathloul was arrested on 1
December after she tried to drive into the kingdom from neighbouring
United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ms al-Amoudi, a Saudi journalist based in
the UAE, was also arrested when she arrived at the border to support Ms
Hathloul.
Both women have a large following on Twitter. Ms
Hathloul tweeted about her day-long wait at the Saudi border as she
tried to enter the country.
In late December, activists said the
women's cases had been transferred to a terrorism court - reportedly
over comments they had made on social media, rather than for their
driving.
The women were freed days after Britain's Prince Charles met Saudi Arabia's new monarch, Prince Salman.
During
his visit, Prince Charles raised the case of the blogger Raif Badawi,
who has been sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years imprisonment.
The
case of the women drivers - like that of Mr Badawi - has shone a
spotlight on Saudi Arabia just as the new monarch settles in, says BBC
Arab affairs analyst Sebastian Usher.
He says some Saudis are now saying that the British prince's visit may also have helped free Ms Hathloul and Ms al-Amoudi.
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