Women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia appeared in a closed-door court hearing Wednesday on unknown charges after being detained in a crackdown last year, making their first appearance before a judge in a case that has sparked international outrage. The women are among about a dozen prominent activists who were arrested last May in the weeks before a ban on women driving cars in the conservative kingdom was lifted. Activists seen as iconsAmnesty International said the women brought to court are seen as icons of the women's rights movement in Saudi Arabia. "It is quite concerning that they are likely to be charged for simply defending women's rights," said Amnesty International's Samah Hadid. Overturning the driving ban was part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's efforts to court the West to support his reform drive.

Source: CBC News March 14, 2019 22:06 UTC