Upon Al-Balushi’s arrest, she was subjected to forced disappearance, severe acts of torture, and threatened with rape. During interrogation, she was denied access to legal counseling and coerced into making self-incriminating confessions. She was also denied legal counsel during the final hearings of her appeal and deprived from contacting her family. Furthermore, Al-Balushi has suffered from poor conditions in prison, subjected to assaults by inmates, and prolonged solitary confinements. She has had surveillance cameras placed in her bathroom in prison. This mistreatment caused Al-Balushi to go on several hunger strikes over the years demanding the improvement of her situation in prison.

Al-Balushi has sent a series of voice recordings in an effort to raise awareness of her suffering. In late February, she started a hunger strike that was ended four days later upon attempting suicide in her solitary confinement. Balushi’s mental and physical health has suffered severely in her detention. She has a kidney problem, for which she continues to be denied access to the prison clinic since at least December 2018.