The cover of Vogue Arabia's June issue, featuring a Saudi princess posing in the driver's seat of a red convertible, has drawn criticism following the arrests of women's rights activists. The June issue, which claims to be "a celebration of the trailblazing women of Saudi Arabia" features Princess Hayfa bint Abdullah al-Saud, pictured on the front cover of the magazine.
The magazine was intended to mark the end of a ban on female drivers, but critics have accused the Suadi authorities of arresting about 11 women since May 15, and most are understood to be among those who have fought for the right to drive.
According to a state security spokesman, the women arrested were accused of wanting to "destabilize the kingdom and breach its social structure and mar the national consistency."
The spokesman added that many of the detainees were held incommunicado, while state media quickly labeled the women as "traitors" and "agents of embassies."
While some of the women have been released, others in custody, includes three prominent activists: Loujain al-Hathloul, who was previously detained for 73 days in 2014 after trying to drive from the United Arab Emirates to Saudi Arabia; Aziza al-Yousef, who, at 70, was one of the first activists for the right to drive; andEman al-Nafjan, a well-known blogger, according to CNN.
Twitter users are calling for the women to be freed following the release of the magazine cover.
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