Described as a first, The cases of two Saudi women detained for nearly a month in defiance of a ban on females driving were referred to a court established to try "terrorism cases". Several people close to the defendants told The Associated Press that Loujain al-Hathloul, 25 and Maysa al-Amoudi, 33 were sent to the anti-terrorism court in connection to opinions they expressed in tweets and in social media. Activists say they fear the case is intended to send a warning to others pushing for greater rights. The Specialized Criminal Court, to which their cases were referred, was established in the capital Riyadh to try terrorism cases but has also tried and handed long prison sentences to a number of human rights workers, peaceful dissidents, activists and critics of the government. People close to the women said their lawyers appealed the judge's decision to transfer their cases. An appeals court in Dammam, the capital of Eastern Province, is expected to decide on the referral in the coming days, they said.
