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<\/a>CCSS external executive Quinn Cunningham says he was happy to hear of al-Hathloul\u2019s release, but that stipulations surrounding her release\u2014media outlets are reporting that her family has said that she is subject to a five-year travel ban and probation for three years, during which time she is forbidden from speaking to the media, using social media, and continuing her women’s rights activism\u2014are of concern to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing that there\u2019s a travel ban that she still faces and some other things that limit her mobility is still concerning,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Cunningham says he’s hoping to see all charges pardoned and all travel bans lifted for al-Hathloul.<\/p>\n
\u201cI personally feel that way,\u201d he says, \u201cand I believe that the campaign that we also signed on to is advocating for that as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
AMS vice president of external affairs Kalith Nanayakkara says that he was surprised to hear of al-Hathloul\u2019s release, but that it speaks to the power of public awareness.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we first heard of [the release], we had to do some more digging to make sure that this was the correct information,\u201d he says, \u201cand we were absolutely just excited, happy, and just in awe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canada needs to play a much larger role on the international stage, says Nanayakkara.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had hundreds of thousands of students get together and tell the Canadian government that more needs to be done, that Loujain needs to be released,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Even though the government didn’t respond to the December 10, 2020 letter to federal minister of foreign affairs Fran\u00e7ois-Philippe Champagne sent by the three UBC studeng groups, says Nanayakkara, the biggest takeaway for AMS was how much power campaigns and public awareness can have.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully this will be the last time that we need to pull a campaign like this, but knowing that there\u2019s a lot that needs to be done\u2014especially in countries like Saudi Arabia\u2014we\u2019re going to continue to advocate that the Canadian government plays a larger role on the international stage,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Cunningham says that a cabinet shuffle in the federal government around the time that the CCSS signed onto the campaign is not an excuse for the federal government to ignore matters like this.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s appropriate for the government not to respond to such a thing,\u201d says Cunningham.<\/p>\n
Keeping up with the speed of how fast things were changing and the amount of information involved was difficult throughout the campaign, says Nanayakkara, and not getting stronger support from the government didn\u2019t help.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was definitely a challenge we weren\u2019t able to overcome,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
AMS has not yet spoken with al-Hathloul. They want to give her time to settle back into society and adjust to life, but Nanayakkara thanks al-Hathloul for her endurance \u201cin fighting for a better world.\u201d He also wants to ask her specifically if there is anything more that can be done for her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would thank her for being an inspiration,\u201d he says, \u201cand for allowing us to see how much more work needs to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cunningham hopes that al-Hathloul is able to continue her work for women\u2019s rights after this traumatizing experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s incredibly resilient for surviving such a situation for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n
A letter on the #StudentsForLoujain website says that the campaign is celebrating her release but due to the travel ban those involved in the campaign \u201cwill continue to advocate for justice for Loujain until she is free and not subject to injustice.\u201d<\/p>\n