Two women jailed after breaking Saudi Arabian female driver ban

Saudi Arabia the only country in the world to ban female drivers

Two women who were detained at the border of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia had their detentions extended by at least 25 more days Sunday for the crime of "driving while female."

Loujain al-Hathloul and Mayssa al-Amoudi were arrested on December 1 trying to cross the border, the New York Times reported. Hathloul recorded her trip through her native UAE, where she has a valid driver's license, to the border and posted the video to YouTube. She says she's traveling to Saudi Arabia to campaign for women's right to drive. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world ban female drivers. Activists fighting for women to have the right to drive occasionally encourage women to drive on certain days, such at the October 26 protest.

When Hathloul arrived at the border guards confiscated her passport and she was forced to spend the night in her car. After hours of waiting both women were instructed to drive their cars on to Saudi soil, with the understanding that they would U-turn and go back to the UAE. However, when they drove over the border police were waiting to arrest them.

Activists have set up a petition for the women's release. In this video Hathloul explains her motivations for driving into Saudi Arabia:

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