The authorities of Saudi Arabia released three out of the 11 activists detained last year, AFP reported quoting the family of one of the activists.

Blogger Eman al-Nafjan, Aziza al-Youssef, a retired lecturer at King Saudi University, and academic Rokaya al-Mohareb were freed. The conditions of their release were unclear.

According to a relative of one of the women, they were released after a year of detention, but they would still have to face trial next week.

It is reported that the other activists will be released this weekend, France 24 reported.

Most of the women were detained last summer as a result of the sweeping crackdown on campaigners just before the lifting of a  ban on female motorists.

However, their detentions heightened criticism of Riyadh after global outrage over the murder of journalist Jamal Hashagji by Saudi agents in October last year.