Long abayas drape as if pushed by a fierce wind, while bodies seem to scramble to escape the gusts. Violence unfolds around a dozen men and a woman who resist from within the scene. They pull at headscarves, strike with wooden sticks, bind with leather belts, and even lock wrists in cuffs. Screams echo through the room. In an orphanage in Khamis Mushait, located in southwest Saudi Arabia, security guards violently confront residents who allegedly pressed for improved living conditions.
“If you’re wondering how the government’s security apparatus operates under Mohammed bin Salman, there is a video showing a raid on an orphanage after arbitrary arrests labeled as crimes,” commented Lina al Hazlul, sister of feminist activist Lujain al Hazlul, who spent three years in detention, on social media. The clip, secretly recorded and later broadcast by an unidentified woman, sparked a nationwide controversy. The hashtag #OrphansOfKhamisMushait trended on Saudi social networks for two days, drawing attention to the incident.
Following the incident, officials stated that an operation would be launched on a given Wednesday. Authorities in the Asir region, where the orphanage sits, formed a commission to investigate the events, including the apparent beatings captured on video and reported by the Saudi Press Agency. The exact details and timing remain unclear, and the Kingdom’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has said it has opened a formal inquiry.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabian Human Rights Commission announced the appointment of a team to monitor the investigation and to coordinate with relevant authorities. Human rights organizations condemned the video as further evidence of repression affecting women in the kingdom under the governance of the crown prince. Analysts and activists suggest the action may be linked to a broader pushback by the state against dissent and activism, including responses to women’s rights campaigns. A London-based activist quoted by a regional outlet attributed the incident to measures taken in response to previous protests demanding better conditions, calling attention to the pattern of mistreatment that has persisted in some institutions.
persecution of dissidents
The alarm raised by these events prompted investigations into the involvement of orphanage administrators and security forces. It remains unclear how many women were detained or what charges they faced, as officials have withheld many details. The broader context points to decades-long tensions between reform efforts and state control within Saudi Arabia, intensified under the current leadership since 2017. Critics describe a climate in which authorities have asserted strong measures to suppress opposition and enforce conformity, often framed as maintaining social order while facing international scrutiny for human rights concerns.
Lina al Hazlul spoke to Middle East Eye about the ethics of violence against women demanding their rights. Her remarks underscored a central question: when security forces respond to advocacy with punishment, does that empowerment or further oppression occur? Activists from rights groups have urged transparency and accountability, noting that genuine progress requires credible investigations and meaningful consequences for wrongdoing. Observers argue that outcomes should address both the immediate abuses and the larger pattern of governance that affects women and dissidents alike.