Overview

• Former inmates and activists describe weekly floggings, strip searches, forced sedation and compulsory religious lessons in ‘Dar al-Reaya’ care homes.
• Testimonies reveal women are detained for years, unable to leave without male guardian approval, and some have attempted suicide under the harsh conditions.
• A Saudi government spokesperson maintains these are voluntary rehabilitation centres that treat vulnerable women and allow exit at any time.
• Rights campaigners argue the homes serve as instruments of control and punishment that undermine Saudi Arabia’s narrative of women’s empowerment.
• Human rights group ALQST has urged Riyadh to shut the care homes and establish genuine protective shelters for women rather than punitive institutions.