Released Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul's family 'want real justice'

The family of the Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul said that she will seek to bring to justice those she accuses of torturing her in prison.

Loujain al-Hathloul was released on Wednesday after almost three years in detention, but she is subject to a travel ban and forbidden from speaking to the media, reports the BBC.

Her sisters, who live abroad, said she had identified a close former aide of the Saudi crown prince as being present during her alleged torture sessions.

Officials deny that she was mistreated.

A Saudi appeals court also dismissed the torture accusations earlier this week, citing a lack of evidence, according to Hathloul's family.

"What we want now is real justice," her sister Lina told an online news conference.

"That Loujain is completely, unconditionally free."

The Loujain al-Hathloul story is far from over.

The family of Saudi Arabia's most prominent human rights activist say she has emerged from her 1,001 days in prison more resilient than ever, smiling and asking for ice cream as her first request. The family have vowed to clear her name from what they say are unjust charges.

They want the travel ban lifted, reparations for time spent in prison, and Saudi newspapers held accountable for what they say was a campaign of defamation.

But above all Loujain al-Hathloul wants those who she maintains tortured her in prison held accountable. Chief among them, she claims, is Saud al-Qahtani, the former close aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The family say they will pursue all legal means at their disposal.

Hathloul, 31, was instrumental in the campaign to allow women to drive in Saudi Arabia. She was detained in May 2018, just weeks before the ban was lifted, along with about a dozen other female activists as part of an apparent crackdown on dissent in the kingdom.

Officials insisted that Hathloul was not arrested because of her activism, but rather her contacts with foreign diplomats, media and other organisations.