Human rights activists are campaigning to save the life of the first woman in Saudi Arabia to be sentenced to death over her political activism, The Independent reported. 

Israa al-Ghomgham, 29, was arrested along with her husband Moussa al-Hashem in December 2015 for their roles in organising anti-government protests in eastern Qatif province in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.  

In a hearing at Riyadh’s specialised criminal court earlier this month, the public prosecutor recommended Ms Ghomgham and five other defendants face beheading under anti-terrorism legislation. 

Ms Ghomgham is a “well known human rights defender”, according to the Germany based European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR).

The decision sets a “dangerous precedent” for female activists in the deeply conservative country, ESOHR director Ali Adubisi said in a statement.