all those e-mails that we have been getting over the past twenty four hours that. authorities in saudi arabia are continuing their crackdown on human rights activists most of them women they are demanding the right to drive and an end to the kingdom s male guardianship system now imus international says that authorities have now seize the kingdom s prominent human rights campaigner that is muhammad. earlier they released at least for women s rights activists without least eight others still believed to be in custody. and many defied a ban on women driving cars and went behind the wheel to demand change that fan is now due to be lifted in june the government accuses the women of conspiring with foreign powers and one of those arrested was medea. she was being interviewed a bit earlier by d.w. reporter funny for char who is joining us here now on the set of talks a little bit more about that interview because you know you ve been reporting
a bit earlier by d.w. reporter funny for char who is joining us here now on the set to tell us a little bit more about that interview because you know you ve been reporting extensively from saudi arabia recently what can you tell us about the wave of arrests there sara stefani not the first time of course that there was a crackdown on activists in saudi arabia the last time we have seen that play out was last september by the way just before the crown prince has announced that the driving ban is going to be lifted what makes this case quite unprecedented is the fact that these are very prominent people i rush we have interviewed in march in riyadh she can paint for the driving back bend to be lifted for decades since nine hundred ninety and the very same people who actually have hopes that these reforms are actually going to be put into action and there s going to be change these people have been arrested now in the meantime four people have been released among them is also my deah but
country and it has also taken a few steps towards social reform it has made a start in lifting some of the oppressive restrictions on women for example a driving ban for women will finally be removed later this year our reporter funny for char travel to the capital riyadh and to jeddah to look at what this vision for the future really means for the country. riyadh is an international city third of the population comes from abroad many of them manual workers they helped to build the saudi capital but the wall come they once enjoyed starting to think. saudis first know that the saudi government splatted to reduce unemployment among native saudis employers who hire none so days they have to pay higher fees and jobs in shops like this one selling electronics for example would be restricted to saudis only. for a nurse will be banned from at least twelve jobs this music store selling