Saudi Arabia on Thursday temporarily released three out of 11 women detained last year in a sweeping crackdown on activists, state media said, amid intense international scrutiny of the kingdom's human rights record.
Blogger Eman al-Nafjan, retired lecturer Aziza al-Youssef and academic Rokaya al-Mohareb were freed after a second hearing on Wednesday in their high-profile trial at Riyadh's criminal court, a member of one of their families told AFP.
"The criminal court in Riyadh announces the provisional release of three detainees," the official Saudi Press Agency said, without naming them.
