In September 2018, she risked being sentenced to become the first female human rights defender to be executed, possibly by beheading, in Saudi Arabia[8][9][10] following what had been planned as a final hearing to be held on 28 October 2018.
[12][6] Al-Ghomgham was tried in an unfair trial and in February 2021 was sentenced to an eight-year imprisonment term, as reported by the Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR).
[7] Sarah Whitson of Human Rights Watch stated that "seeking the death penalty for activists like Israa al-Ghomgham, who are not even accused of violent behavior, is monstrous" and in contradiction with the Saudi government's claim of reform.
[2] Samah Hadid, Middle East director of campaigns for Amnesty International, agreed that the sentence set a dangerous precedent which "would send a horrifying message that other activists could be targeted in the same way for their peaceful protest and human rights activism".
A call by Canada earlier in August 2018 for the "immediate release" of women activists was stated by the Saudi government to be a factor in a diplomatic and trading crisis between the two countries.