Washington Post names Saudi scholar as first Jamal Khashoggi fellow

Saudi scholar Hala al-Dosari was named on Monday The Washington Post's first Jamal Khashoggi fellow, a prize named after the late journalist who was murdered last year.

The Washington Post announced the launch of the fellowship on Monday, which it says it will provide an independent platform for journalists and writers from parts of the world where "freedom of expression is threatened or suppressed".

The fellowship is named in honour of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who wrote columns for The Washington Post's "Global Opinions" section, until he was murdered at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in October.

Dosari - a Saudi human rights activist, scholar and writer - is known as a leading advocate for women and girls' rights in Saudi Arabia. She was an activists involved in the 26 October 2013 driving campaign, when a number Saudi women drove cars, defying a law banning them from doing so, which was overturned last year. She also runs an online advocacy project for women's rights and against domestic violence, Aminah.

The scholar has completed fellowships researching health and gender-based violence in Saudi Arabia at Harvard and Johns Hopkins universities. Dosari was a 2018 recipient of Human Rights Watch's Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism, and a 2016 winner of Freedom House's Freedom Award.

"We are honored to pay tribute to Jamal's life and work and to the values he cared most about, including human rights and freedom of expression," said Fred Hiatt, Editorial Page Editor at The Washington Post.

"Hala is a respected and leading voice on women's issues, health policy and political reform across Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf states. We look forward to having her join our roster of contributors offering informed and different perspectives that they may not be able to express in their own countries or region."

She also serves on the advisory boards of the Human Rights Watch Middle East/North Africa Division and the Gulf Center for Human Rights.

Karen Attiah, Khashoggi's editor at the newspaper, also congratulated Dosari on Twitter. Dosari's columns will be published in both English and Arabic.